Forgotten Letters
by Verdigris
Summary: Zelgadis refuses to return any of Amelia's letters, until Lina alerts him of Amelia's illness. Chapter 8 is up
1. Unbroken Seals

**Forgotten Letters**

By Verdigris

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of the Slayers universe. If you try to sue you won't get much out of me!

Chapter 1: Unbroken Seals

Zelgadis drew his hood closer around his face to shield it away from the icy wind. It howled endlessly, causing the flames of his campfire to flicker violently. The firelight bathed him in its light, giving little warmth against the harsh cold. Luckily his stone skin absorbed the small amount of warmth from the fire. A lesser man may have froze, but his chimera body allowed him to stand most extreme weather conditions.

The wind picked up again, blowing harder and the flames weakened. He made a small motion with his hand, creating a spell to feed the fire, but clenched it quickly. Zelgadis growled to himself. He had forgotten there were creatures here in this forest that could sense magic. Even the smallest of spell would attract unwanted attention. He would have to do this the old-fashioned way.

Drawing himself up he searched for some firewood near his camp. Walking away from the fire he used his chimera senses to aid his search in the dark. It had rained the a few hours earlier, so finding dry branches and small scrub bushes could be difficult. He had already cleared the camp of all the dry wood he could find.

"Damnit.." Zelgadis growled. He hated wasting his time doing menial things like this. This could all be accomplished with a quick spell, but he could not risk it. "This is what Lina must feel like when it's that phase of moon," he muttered to himself.

At the thought of Lina, Zelgadis dug his hand into his bag. He took out five letters, each still with an un-broken wax seal of the Saillune seal. Amelia had written to him quite frequently in the past few months and it had been a year since he last saw her. He was always on the move, never staying in one place, she had given them to Lina instead. She acted as postmaster, since Gourry and her ran into him on their own journeys once in a while. She was rather annoyed with the new responsibility.

It was a month since he last saw her and Gourry. He ran into them in the small city of Balrag where he was staying at an inn.

"_Hey Zel!" Lina crowed from a table, in-between massive bites of her lunch. "I was wondering what you were up to!"_

_Zelgadis glanced around the room, glad that it was rather empty and removed the mask around his face. "Hello Lina," he smiled a little before nodding to Gourry. "Doing some damage I see."_

"_Shut up, Zel." Lina bit back. "Gourry and I are starving. We haven't been close to an inn in over a week and we intend to enjoy ourselves!"_

"_Still looking for your cure, Zel?" Gourry mumbled through a turkey leg. "Any luck?"_

"_I have a small lead to a temple up north. I'm heading there tomorrow morning." Zelgadis took a seat at their table and ordered a pot of tea from the innkeeper._

_Lina grinned widely. "Not leaving until tomorrow? Great! That will give you some time to return Amelia's letter." She held out the piece of folded paper to the chimera._

_Zelgadis rolled his eyes, taking the letter, knowing she would not take no for an answer. "I don't have time to write her. I don't know why she keep trying to contact me."_

"_You know why, Zelgaids." Lina shot back with a wink. "She probably wants you to visit her and catch up. Last time we saw her she kept asking me about you." _

_Lina leaned back in her seat, counting off on her fingers. "What you were doing, where you were going, how you were… She misses you and I know you miss her too. You just don't like to admit it to yourself. Give this whole cure search a rest and go see her. If not, the least you could do is answer this stupid letter. I'm tired of carrying these dumb things around for you."_

_Not even looking at the letter he stuffed it in his bag. "I will as soon as I'm able." He said somewhat dismissingly at her._

"_You're able NOW!" Lina got up and poked him in the chest. "If I wasn't pregnant, I'd be standing over you with a fireball all good and ready until you write her back!"_

"_Look, it's not any of your…." Zelgadis blinked, his eyes grew large. "Pregnant?"_

_Lina sat back down, patting her stomach. "I'm not showing much now, but I'm only five-weeks along." _

_Gourry chuckled, gesturing to the empty plates around her. "Keep eating like that and you will be showing soon…Owww!" He rubbed his head after Lina bopped him._

"_Congratulations to you both." He smiled and shook Gourry's hand. "But, I thought you two were only engaged." Zelgadis pointed out, looking exasperated. "How did that happen so soon?"_

"_Just because Gourry and I aren't married, it doesn't mean we weren't already.."_

"_Okay, okay!" Zelgadis waved at her, not wishing for her to continue. "I don't need a mental image. I should be going." He muttered, edging his way up to his room upstairs_

"_Then write Amelia back to take your mind off of it!" Lina called out before she heard the door slam._

00000000

Zelgadis stared at the letter in his hand. He had received it over a month ago from Lina and it was still unopened. Amelia wanted to know what he was doing. Did she still care for him? She was thinking about him and wanted him to visit. When he received the first letter it was over a year ago. Her affection for him probably died as soon as they all parted ways. She went on with her life as a princess and would probably direct that affection to a man of royal blood; a man she belonged to.

She was his friend and nothing more.

Then why was he so afraid to open these letters? They were 'friends' and it was very possible these letters would speak nothing of the puppy love she had for him when they were first traveling together. If he followed through with here wishes, he would visit for a day or so and be right on his way to continue his search. That was all.

He flipped the letter around his hands, touching the seal and fingering the edges. He often wondered how she was, but had ignored his wonderings to focus on his cure. Had she grown a bit since he last saw her? Would she still smile just as brightly when she saw him? What if she still held those affections for him? Returning to Saillune would only confuse her. Surely she did not think they could be together. With his condition, her people would question her decision-making. What country would aid her if she chose a freak for a husband and co-ruler? Would she grow to hate him, wishing that she had never sent those letters in the first place?

He squeezed his eyes shut before opening them again. He walked over to the fire, holding the letters in his hands. They were dry. With a sigh he dropped them all into the fire. The flames lurched forward, consuming the fine white paper, melting the unbroken wax seals and curling and blackening the edges.

He did not want to know what she wanted of him.

00000000

Another dead end.

Zelgadis walked through a worn path outside of a small forest. His lead at a temple up north near the flatlands was all for nothing. Whatever evidence in the ancient temple had for his cure had either disappeared over time or was never there in the first place. It was back to square one and he was furious about it.

The library for shamanistic magic in Elderoon Village, east of Atlas City, was a logical place to start again. He would have continued to follow the path to that very city if it were not for a certain problem. He was out of food and provisions. Zelgadis spied a small town up ahead and made his decision to find a restaurant. Still furious and frustrated, he made a mental note to calm himself down with a nice hot pot of tea. As he neared a inn, he saw the face of the last person he needed to see right now.

Lina Inverse.

No doubt she would badger him again with another damn letter and a lecture of why he had not bothered to return the last one and the one before. Of all the towns and cities in the world, why did it have to be this one? Preparing himself for an onslaught of insults, he trudged forward with his mouth set in a hard line.

Lina's face was unreadable as she approached him with Gourry by her side. She was clearly angry, but instead of throwing him a handful of letters, she motioned to a table outside a restaurant.

"I see I'm in trouble again," Zelgadis said with a light sneer.

A waiter came by and handed them each a menu. To Zelgadis's surprise, Lina ignored it and kept her eyes on him. "You didn't read that letter, did you?"

Zelgadis knew she was not asking him a question. She just wanted him to admit it. "No, I have not. I was busy. Why do I have to keep reminding you?"

"My gods, you don't care, do you? You didn't once look at that letter Amelia wrote for you!" Lina yelled, almost knocking over the table. Gourry placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her.

Sighing loudly, she sat back down and eyed Zelgadis coldly. "Okay, lets talk about you since that's all you ever care about."

"There is nothing to discuss," Zelgadis shot back. His anger got the best of him and he spoke quickly. "I hit another dead end and I'm not sure how long it will be until I find another lead. And further more, I am in no mood to talk about Amelia's immature ramblings in some damn letter!"

Gourry frowned at this, but let Lina do the talking. Lina's eyes narrowed, "If you had bothered to read Amelia's 'immature ramblings' as you put it, you'd know that she has fallen ill! You were the first person she wanted to speak to! She never once told us about her health when we visited her two months ago. Not once! It was YOU she confided in and you were too selfish to even read her letter! "

Zelgadis went silent for a few seconds and his eyes softened. "When did she fall ill?" His mind began to race and his chest tightened.

"Two months ago. Gourry and I didn't know about it, but when we stopped by for a day or so, Prince Phillionel wouldn't let us see her. He finally let us in after Amelia's begged him and the one person she asked about was you. In her letter, she asked you to see her, told you that she was feeling ill and you blew it. Nice going, Zel."

"Then why are you two here?" Zelgadis asked defeatedly.

"To find you. Instead of telling Amelia you were avoiding her, we planned to bring your butt down ourselves. I told her that we needed to see an herbalist for my pregnancy outside of Saillune City. Good thing you're so predictable, Zel." Lina said with bitter smile.

Zelgadis winced at her remark. "Well, you found me."

Lina seemed happy with his guilty expression. "Good. It seems we got through to you after all. We'll leave as soon as I finish my dinner."

Sighing and nodding in agreement, he looked at the friends he had neglected for nearly a year. Amelia's letters had fallen on his own deaf ears and he was grateful that they had found him before it was too late.

To be continued…..


	2. Missing you

**Forgotten Letters**

By Verdigris

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of the Slayers universe. If you try to sue, you won't get much out of me!

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! I've always been a sucker for A&Z romance fics.

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Chapter 2: Missing You

The trip to Saillune was a relatively quiet one. It was still a half a day's journey away so they were making the best of the early morning. Most of the time was spent in silence, other than Lina complaining about being hungry every hour. Lina spoke barely a word to Zelgadis, walking a head of the two men. Zelgadis trailed behind, lost in his own thoughts.

Gourry cleared his throat, trying to break the obvious tension between his two friends. "How are going to tell Amelia why we were gone so long? Shouldn't we just tell her we went to find Zel?"

"Oh, I'm not telling." Lina grumped up ahead. "We'll just say we found Zelgadis when he was on his way to see Amelia." She turned to look behind her and point at the chimera. "And you better remember that part of the story too, got it?"

Zelgadis glared at her, but was in no mood to argue. Lina was doing a great job of making him feel like a child who had been made to stand and face the corner. He held back a rather nasty remark, deciding to control his temper until they reached the city. Before long, they reached the city limits in the late afternoon. They made a beeline to the palace, thanks to the growing heat of the day and Lina's insistent yelling to for them to hurry up.

Zelgadis felt his palms sweat at the sight of the towering gate doors of the giant, white palace. He had been to the palace numerous times and never once did he feel as nervous and anxious as he felt right now. Even Lina's usually bossy demeanor had dwindled at the sight of the large doors, knowing they were not here for a simple visit.

Lina knocked heavily and they were escorted inside by the castle guards. Zelgadis subconsciously felt an urge to pull up his mask at the strange and interested looks from the servants bustling through the main hall. Suddenly, a large man dressed in a white, royal tunic burst out of the throne room.

"My friends!" Philionel el de Saillune's voice boomed, startling the three friends as he pulled them into a giant bear hug. "Thank the gods for your safe return!" He pulled back, not noticing his guests were struggling for air from his over eager affections.

"Ah, Lina! How was your journey? Is the baby doing well?" Prince Phil asked kindly.

"Baby?" Lina coughed, loosening the collar around her neck. She quickly remembered her and Gourry's supposed journey to the herbalist and patted her stomach. "Oh yes! Baby's doing fine… uh... full of herbs, this little tyke is."

"What herbs?" Gourry whispered to Lina. He yelped as she ground her heel into the toe of his boot.

Prince Phil's eyes widened at Zelgadis who was standing behind his two friends.

"Zelgadis, my boy! What a wonderful surprise! My dear Amelia has been talking a lot about you. So you received one of her letters after all. She was afraid you had gotten into some sort of trouble on your search."

Zelgadis cleared his voice. "I arrived as soon as I heard," speaking the half-truth. "How is Amelia?"

The prince's eyes softened. "I'm afraid her condition has not been progressing well. It started with a light cough and within a week she's been bedridden. It seems she has a terrible infection and has a hard time breathing. I have employed the best healers throughout the kingdom for help. Even the healers from our allied cities came down as soon as they knew she was ill. That was two months ago." He cast his eyes downward.

They could all tell the stress had caused the man to age considerably. There were large bags under his eyes and his hair had grayed slightly. "A visit with her friends will do her much good. I hope the three of you do intend to stay for a few days." He smiled as they all nodded. "Good. I'll send for my servants to get your rooms prepared."

"Your highness."

A man dressed in long white and green robes came down the great, long staircase. He had long gray hair and small white beard on his chin and cool, light blue eyes. "The healers have finished their session with the princess. She is resting in her room."

"Good!" Prince Phil nodded to the man. He introduced him to the three companions.

"This is Günter Dillis, one of the head healers from Ralteague, an ally of Saillune. He has been seeing over Amelia and the other healers. Is she well enough for visitors?"

"She is very weak, sire." The healer warned, "But since her friends have come a very long way, I suppose it wouldn't do any harm."

0000000

"I wonder how much worst she has gotten?" Lina mumbled to herself as they made their way to Amelia's bedroom.

Zelgadis held his breath as the doors opened. The room was large and well fitting for one of royal blood. The furniture was ornate and carved from the finest wood. The curtains were drawn halfway to keep the bright sun out. There was an oversized white canopy bed with lavender curtains in the middle of the spacious room. On the bed was a small, delicate figure sitting up amongst white sheets and pillows. He allowed Lina to take the lead, staying behind Gourry as they entered the bedroom.

"Lina!" Amelia smiled cheerfully. She sat up against the pillows in a pink sleeping gown and held out her arms as Lina hugged her tightly. "I must have slept the last couple of days away. It feels like you just left!"

"It's good to see you, Amelia! Hope you're feeling a little better." Lina said with smile, hugging her friend fiercely.

Gourry took his turn and hugged the dark haired girl, engulfing her in his large arms. He ruffled her hair affectionately. Zelgadis came up behind him slowly, his eyes never leaving her figure on the bed. She had grown some since he last saw her, but she was extremely thin. Her dark hair has lost some of its shine and her face was pale. However, her eyes still sparkled in defiance of the infection she battled with. Even in her weakest state she took his breath away.

Amelia looked behind Gourry, spying Zelgadis shyly walking up to the bed. Her eyes shone brightly. "Mr. Zelgadis!"

She held out her arms wide, almost sitting up on her knees in effort to hug the chimera. Zelgadis held out his arms to her, giving him a small hug. Her hair still smelled sweet, but he could sense the sickness there and it troubled him.

She gazed happily at him, holding onto both his hands. "I knew you'd come." He could barely suppress a blush and a felt a wave of guilt hit him.

Lina sensed Zelgadis's apprehension and jumped in. "We bumped into Zel on our way here. It's a good thing I gave him that letter." She elbowed him in the ribs, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

"How has your search been coming along?" Amelia wondered.

Zelgadis sighed and gestured to himself. "As you can see, not much as changed."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Amelia sympathized. "At least you're alright. I was worried something had happened to you. I hope I didn't bother you too much with my letters. I don't get to see you as often as I do Lina and Gourry."

"I can take care of myself." He insisted and straightened up. "I have been very busy and I've had little time for writing."

Lina rolled her eyes and started pushing Gourry out of the bedroom, calling over her shoulder. "Not that we're not enjoying the stimulating conversation, but I'm starved and as you know, I'm eating for two now!"

"Eating for five is more like it…argh!"

"Come on, Gourry!" Lina growled with one last final shove and closed the door. Zelgadis could tell she left for a reason and was a bit grateful.

Amelia sat back against the pillows, shrugging her shoulders with a light grin. "They never change, do they?"

Zelgadis returned the smile and pulled up a chair from one of her desks. He pushed it closer to the bed, but not too close. They had some catching up to do. He spoke of the things he had seen on his search for his cure, the temples he had been too and the old books on chimeras he had collected. She hung on his every word and he was careful not to overwhelm her. Her eyes were growing tired, so he tried to steer the conversation to her.

"And what about you? What were you doing before you became ill?" He was curious about it her aliment, but did not want to ask directly.

"Mostly preparing documents, going to meetings and working with daddy on various things." She sighed. "I was planning on taking a trip to one of the Saillune shrines to train with the local maidens on white magic. I've been cooped up her at the palace so long and I needed some time to get away. After daddy and I came back from Ralteague at a hearing with the merchants, I started developing a cough. Things went bad from there. I can't walk across the dinning hall without loosing my breath. Now I barely have the energy to get out of the bed." Amelia frowned, shifting in the pillows.

"Daddy has been really worried about me. He's sent so many healers to look after me, but I know I will get better! With justice on my side, I will recover!" She pumped her fist in the air, smiling cheerfully.

Zelgadis grinned to himself. That was the Amelia he remembered. Her justice war cries used to annoy him in the past, but now they were music to his ears. He was about to speak, when she interrupted him with violent coughs. Rising from his chair, he held her onto her back as she covered her mouth, struggling with the coughs that racked her entire body.

Looking up at him, he could see how so very ill she was. She tried so hard to hide it from him and Lina and Gourry. Her eyes shimmered a bit, mostly from the force of her coughing, but she managed a small gentle smile.

"I really missed you."

He swallowed, not sure what to say next. He returned her smile and adjusted the pillows behind her, so she could lay back.

"You think a great deal for me. I wish you wouldn't." He said softly, sitting back into his chair.

Amelia shook her head. "Don't say such things about yourself. We've been through a lot together. It's hard for me not to think about you when Lina and Gourry visit. I love them all but…"

Zelgadis wanted desperately to get out of the room. Wanted Lina to fireball a tower of the castle so he would have a good excuse to get out. He planted his feet on the ground to give him some leverage if something of that nature did occur.

Amelia continued, "But you are one of my very good friends. What makes you think I wouldn't care about you?"

He let out a sigh he did not know he was holding. He was her friend. He thought he would feel an overwhelming weight lift from his shoulders, but he did not. A friend. That is what the letters were about. No declaration of love and adoration and sweet nothings. It did not feel as comforting as he thought it would. She had crossed his mind frequently in his journey and he avoided opening her letters like a coward. He had made her feel forgotten. He pushed any other thoughts he had out and focused on Amelia, who was weakly smiling up at him.

Letting out a soft series of coughs she laid back on her pillows, trying to keep her eyes open.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Zelgadis. I seem to become more tired each day. As much as I try, I have such a hard time staying awake," she frowned and sighed into the pillows.

Zelgadis took her hand in his gently. "That's alright. You get your rest. I will see you in the morning if you need me." He bowed his head and let himself out.

"Good night, Mr. Zelgadis."

He made a silent vow to right the wrongs he had done and work hard to be the good friend he should have always been to her.

TBC


	3. Fighting the Infection

**Forgotten Letters**

By Verdigris

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of the Slayers universe. If you try to sue, you won't get much out of me!

Author's Note: Thank you again for you reviews! Good and bad are always welcome. I have a couple chapters in queue, so the story should be finished before the end of June at the latest.

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Chapter 3: Fighting the Infection

Zelgadis trailed down the hallway and followed the sounds of food being nosily eaten and the aggressive clanging of eating utensils. Amidst a pile of plates, Lina and Gourry battled over their dinner, which consisted of eight chickens and three large platters of boiled potatoes. He wondered if Prince Phil knew just how much food Lina and Gourry could consume in a single setting and if there was any left in the kitchen. He was not hungry, especially after his visit with Amelia.

Lina looked up and analogized his presence. "How is she?" she asked, finishing her seventh plate and starting on her eighth.

"Very weak and clearly exhausted. I've never seen her like this," Zelgadis said softly. "She fell asleep not long after we talked."

"We thought the same thing. No wonder Phil is so worried about her. The least we can do is cheer her up while we're here," Lina replied, holding up a drumstick to emphasize her point.

Gourry gave up trying to defend his food from his fiancé and simply let her take the rest. He leaned forward on the table. "Too bad none of us know a lot about healing. You only know the basics, right Lina?"

"I know enough to get myself out of a tight corner. Just a few simple healing spells for wounds and what not. Still, my magic is pretty weak now a days and it will continue to be that way for another eight months." She groaned and leaned an elbow on the table, "Too bad my specialty is only in Black Magic."

Lina peered down the hall to where a large group of healers had gathered. "These guys are the professionals in white magic healing. If anyone can cure Amelia, it's them."

Zelgadis muttered under his breath, but it was loud enough for his two friends to hear. "I wish there was something we could do. I don't like sitting around here doing nothing"

"Excuse me."

They looked up to see two healers nearing their table. A young woman and man, both dressed in white and blue robes, the colors of Saillune. They looked similar to one another and not much older than them.

"You're Lina Inverse, aren't you?" The young woman asked shyly.

"All my life!" Lina admitted proudly and extended a hand that was not covered in chicken grease, "So, you're one of the Saillune healers. How is Amelia _really_ doing? Is she getting better?"

The woman smiled, pleased to find her curiosity was not misplaced. "We've heard a lot you, especially from the princess. It's awe inspiring to be in the presence of such a renowned sorceress."

Zelgadis groaned. As if Lina needed to add to her already massive ego.

"To answer your question we are still unsure what is causing her illness. Whatever infection she suffers from has settled in her chest. The longer it stays there the longer the princess will be out of commission. We have been working to draw that infection out and add to her life energy to combat it."

The male healer stepped in, "We have the infection pinpointed, but every time we try to draw it out, it slips back in again. Her condition is baffling to us. We are trying as hard as we can, it just may take some time," he smiled reassuringly at the three friends.

"Two months is a long time. We just want Amelia back," Lina stated seriously. She looked over at Zelgadis who had his head bowed in thought. It was obvious he was very worried about her and hated being useless. Lina grinned slightly as an idea popped her head. She looked at the two healers, "You wouldn't happen to be in need of an assistant, would you?"

The healers cocked their heads. Lina tapped Zelgadis on the shoulder, bringing him back out of his thoughts. "Zelgadis is an excellent sorcerer and researcher. He's also very quick to the draw, aren't ya Zel?"

Zelgadis raised an eyebrow and grinned, seeing where this was going. He stood up before the two healers.

"I could be of some help, if I may. My specialty is shamanistic magic, but I quickly excelled in it that when I.." he frowned slightly and cleared his throat, "came to be in this form. I'm a fast learner and I'm up for the challenge."

"You're the chimera the princess spoke of! From what we've heard, you're well-rounded when it comes to magic," the male healer said with a smile. "Zelgadis, is it? Sorry for not introducing ourselves sooner. I'm Markus and this is my sister, Ellie. Well, even if you don't know much about white magic, we could use someone will your talents. Can you hold a light spell for a long period of time?"

It was a bit insulting to be asked if he could produce such a low level spell, but he held himself in check. He nodded yes.

The two healers smiled to each other and Ellie spoke, "We are headed upstairs to tend to the princess. Dillis, the head healer, should be with us shortly. He's reporting to the prince now. Please come along."

Lina and Gourry gave their friend a thumbs-up and Zelgadis rolled his eyes in return. At least he was doing something and it would give him a chance to see just how Amelia was progressing through her illness. Even if he had to do simple, mundane tasks for the healers, so be it. He would keep his senses sharp and learn as much as he could. If he was to stay in the castle, he would rather use his time to aid Amelia than sit and wait for more bad news.

A group of ten healers met outside Amelia's bedroom. They were surprised that the chimera had decided to help them. Markus explained about Zelgadis's experience in sorcery and it eased many of their hesitations.

Amelia was still sleeping, the covers folded at her stomach and her dark hair spread out amongst the pillows. Her brow was dotted with perspiration and her breathing was shallow. Zelgadis could see the up and down motion of her chest was quick and uneven. Her eyebrows were knitted together with a pained expression and she was letting out small sighs with each breath. With his heightened senses he could smell the sickness she suffered from. It smelled almost metallic.

"Is she alright?" Zelgadis asked Eli, clenching his fists at his side. The overwhelming urge to run to her side was unbearable.

"She is having difficulty breathing. That's a large sign that the infection is still heavy in her lungs. She may have a small fever as well by the looks of it. We'll get to work as soon as Dillis comes back."

"This is a routine session. Dillis told us to go on without him if he is busy with the Prince," Markus insisted. "He'll look over our work when he's finished."

"Lets get started then," an older healer replied and motioned for the others to begin.

They stood in a circle around the bed where Amelia lay. Ellie placed a sleeping charm on her so she would not wake during their session. The circled position allowed the healing magic to feed off one another. Depending on each other's strengths and their placement in the circle, all of them could use each other's magic to aid them. Zelgadis stood back, not sure what to do, but awaited the commands impatiently.

Ellie waved a hand to him and he quickly walked over. "What we need you to do is hold a strong light spell over her when we tell you to. We will be concentrating on our spells, so the light will help us focus on where to direct the power."

The healers nodded to one another, ready to begin. Bowing their heads, they each mumbled the spells and the energy began to form from their hands. Ellie motioned to Zelgadis to create a light spell and he held it over Amelia, illuminating her. One by one the white magic was released and bathed the princess in light. Zelgadis watched as the collected energy formed a ball above her and sunk into Amelia's chest through her nightgown. He continued to hold the spell, watching her face intently and waited.

The glowing energy buzzed and pulsed from deep inside her. Her breath hitched and she let out a cry in her sleep. Zelgadis's eyes widened in fear.

"What's happening?" he demanded, still holding the light spell above her.

Ellie whispered to him, "We're trying to draw the infection out. It may take some time."

"She's in pain!" Zelgadis growled, watching Amelia's eyes clench tightly.

"It's just for a little while. We're trying to keep her life energy from burying the infection further. Just a little bit longer…" Markus spoke through his teeth as the sweat on his brow dripped down his face in concentration.

"She's hurting…this is taking too long!" Zelgadis tried again, struggling to hold the spell as he watched her cry out several more times in her sleep. Each one felt like a stab to the heart.

Ellie tried to speak soothingly, "Please Zelgadis….stay calm."

Without thinking straight and his judgment clouded, he dropped the spell to replace it with another. He summoned a shamanistic healing spell of his own and the light inside Amelia's body brightened to a bright blue. The healers faltered, but kept their focus against the bright blue light.

"What's going on?" one of the healers demanded.

"What's he doing? Stop him!" another growled, "It's going to counteract with our spells!"

Markus stared in surprised at the bright light. Zelgadis ignored them and continued his healing spell. The young healer barked quickly, "It's not counteracting! It's amplifying it! It's keeping the infection in check and healing her life energy at the same time. Keep going Zelgadis!"

The other healers excitedly muttered their agreement, see the strength of their healing magic increase as it combined with Zelgadis's spell. Concentrating, the chimera kept control of the flow of magic. Amelia's pain seemed to lessen and her breathing was steady. A few seconds later they finished and stood back from the bed as the glow disappeared.

"We…we did it! We held it back! That should give her life energy a jump start in fighting the infection," Markus cheered. "How did you know to amplify our healing magic?"

Zelgadis let out a breath, pleased that they managed to finish quicker and ease her suffering at the same time. "I didn't. My intention was not to combine it with yours. It was an accident," he admitted.

"And a careless accident it was!" a voiced boomed behind them.

All of them spun around, facing Dillis, the head healer who was standing in the doorway. They were not sure how long he had been there. By the look and sound of his voice he was not pleased at all. His cool blue eyes were furious as he stared at his fellow healers almost in disgust.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, "Who allowed this non-white magic to aid you?"

Markus swallowed and was about to come forward when Zelgadis stood in front of him. "It was my own decision. I thought I could help them and it seems to have worked," he said sternly, defending Markus.

"This is healers work, young man!" He paced up to the chimera and scolded. "You played with her life making a rash decision like you did. This is no time for experimentation!"

"Excuse me, head healer," Markus spoke nervously, standing next to Zelgadis. "It may have been an accident, but we made a breakthrough because of him. Our sessions haven't done much good over the last month or so. He amplified our healing magic. The infection was drawn out enough for the princess's life force to strengthen."

"You are in no position to allow this…this…man", he eyed Zelgadis coldly, "to work with any of you. He is not a trained healer. How long the infection will weaken, we do not know. For now we must keep an eye on her. It could return even quicker thanks to his carelessness!"

Zelgadis fumed, glaring at Dillis with hatred. How dare he tell him to mind his place when he was only trying to help Amelia. The head healer went to her side and evaluated her, making a few humming noises as he checked her thoroughly.

Never taking his cool blue eyes off of Zelgadis as he spoke, "Her lungs seem to be much clearer now. You may have done something useful this time, Mr. Greywords. I wouldn't be wise to let your emotions get in the way again. Also, the healers must ask for my permission before you pull a stunt like that again." He glared at Markus, who hung his head.

"I will report this news to the prince at once." He walked out the door, leaving the healers to sigh in relief.

Zelgadis breathed a loud angry sigh through his nose. He was frustrated by the way the head healer had treated him, accusing him of purposely putting her life in danger. What was he was supposed to do? Let her cry out in pain! What he did was risky, yes, but his instincts had taken over and it worked for the better. At least for now it would and he would keep that in mind. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Markus's embarrassed, boyish face.

"I thought he'd be happy to hear about what you've done," Markus apologized to Zelgadis. He shrugged good-naturedly and shook his hand in gratitude, "But I think you did a lot of good for her, Zelgadis. Thank you. We couldn't have done it without you. We will definitely include you for the next session tomorrow. I'm sure once Prince Philonel knows of Amelia's improvement, he'll agree to it as well."

With a bow, Markus left with his sister in tow. The other healers nodded their appreciation to the chimera as they left out the door. Zelgadis watched Amelia's sleeping form. She looked much more peaceful and her breathing had settled. He noted that the sickness smell he sensed had weakened tremendously.

She was still flushed from the dying fever and her cheeks were rosy. He had been so worried about her. The thought of her in pain as the healers fought with the infection had driven him mad. Her lips were slightly pursed and he startled by the need to touch them. He bent down and brushed a strand of dark hair from her eyes, looking at her face carefully one last time before leaving her bedroom. She was safe for now and that was all that mattered.

His tense muscles had calmed down, giving way to exhaustion. The day had a taken its toll on him and he laid down, soundlessly drifting off to sleep when he reached his room.

00000

Zelgadis awoke to loud knocking on his door. Still dressed in the same traveling clothes he had on the day before, he sleepily got up and opened it.

"Way to go Zel!" Lina yelled as she jumped at him as the door opened.

"Uggh!" he shouted, catching himself off guard. That woke him up. "What are you doing at this hour, Lina?" He rubbed at his eyes with a forefinger and thumb.

"It's already noon," she grinned, leaning on the door frame. "My, my Zel. You're not one to sleep in. Up all night celebrating?"

Zelgadis frantically scratched the back of his head and growled, "Noon? How long was I asleep? And why would I be celebrating? Why didn't anyone wake me?"

"Don't be so uptight, Zel. The healers requested that you needed the sleep," she lightly punched him in the arm. "Prince Phil heard what you did for Amelia and is thrilled! We haven't heard the end of it down there. Amelia's awake and is almost up to her own perky self again thanks to you. Looks like she'll be recovering before we know it. Shamanistic magic manipulating white magic? That's quite a feat!"

He yawned, but managed to hide a grin when he covered his mouth. So Amelia was doing much better… "I'll just get a cup of coffee and check up on her."

"You better drink it fast, she's been asking for you all morning." Lina winked slyly, slipping away from the door as he walked out of his room.

Stretching his back, he shook his head at her, "Lina, it's not like that between us. We're just friends."

Lina squinted and drew herself up to his height and stared into his face. She seemed to be concentrating on something. Zelgadis's leaned back in order to preserve his personal space and asked uncomfortably, "What are you doing?"

"You got something on your face." She reached out and picked something off of his check and examined it between her fingers.

Zelgadis made a face and craned his neck, trying to see what she had picked off. Lina grinned widely and declared, "Just what I thought. It's denial!"

He let out a long sigh, turning away from her and grumbled, "I'm going to get some coffee. See you later."

Lina only grinned teasingly behind his back, very pleased with herself.

TBC


	4. Confessions and Suspicions

**Forgotten Letters**

By Verdigris

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of the Slayers universe. If you try to sue, you won't get much out of me!

Author's Note: Thank you again for you reviews! This has been a fun story to write. I haven't had much time to write, but I'll try to get a chapter uploaded each week.

Chapter 4: Confessions and Suspicions

Zelgadis placed his coffee cup on the white decorative saucer. He had finished his third cup of coffee in record time and was eager to see how Amelia had faired the night. He was still a little perturbed that he slept through the morning, since he normally was an early riser. Gourry sparred with a few of the guards while Lina explored the castle library. They had already finished their lunch and Zelgadis was happy to drink his coffee in peace.

Quickly, he headed for the steps that led to Amelia's bedroom. He was cut-off by the enthusiastic face of Markus once he reached the door.

"Zelgadis, there you are! Did you sleep well?" he asked politely.

The chimera groaned inwardly and nodded in return, "Somewhat. I heard Amelia has been asking for me. Is she alright?"

"Oh, better than all right. We checked up on her this morning. Her infection has weakened and some of her strength has returned. A few more sessions like the one yesterday, she should be right as rain in no time!" Markus smiled, "We'll be back later this evening, so I hope you'll aid us again."

"I will." Zelgadis replied, relieved to see that the young man was leaving to meet with the other healers.

Rapping lightly on the door he heard Amelia's cheerful voice ring out, "Come in!"

Amelia was sitting up in her bed, reading a small book. She looked up and her eyes shone when he entered. "Oh, Mr. Zelgadis! I was hoping you'd come up and see me so I could thank you properly."

The blood ran to his cheeks and he was glad the stones on his face hid most of it. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting. How are you feeling?"

She sat back further against the pillows so she could sit up straighter. "Oh, much better than I've felt in a month! I have more energy and I can finally breathe easier. Best of all, I don't feel tired!"

Zelgadis pulled up a chair to her bed. She looked ten times better than when he last saw her. Her face had more color and her eyes sparkled merrily at him, just like they used to on their travels. She smile seemed much more natural and was not hiding any pain. He never realized how much he missed seeing her as happy as she was.

"Markus and Elli came and visited me this morning. They told me everything that you and the other healers did for me. That was very brave of you, Mr. Zelgadis. Then again, you've always been brave. I can't thank you enough," she said leaning closer to him, smiled gratefully and took his hand.

The gratitude on her face was infectious. He let a smile of his own show, "Your welcome, Amelia. It was the least I could have done."

Amelia's stomach growled and she blushed in embarrassment. "Seems I've got my appetite back as well."

Zelgadis let out a soft chuckle, "Well, that's a very good sign you're recovering." His stomach also growled and he flinched.

Amelia laughed at his expression. "Looks like we both missed breakfast this morning. Would you have lunch with me? I've been too weak to eat with anyone for a long time. I usually end up falling asleep after two bites. I'll even order some tea for you."

Zelgadis grinned, "I would like that very much. Thank you."

The servants brought their lunch on trays and put them on one of the tables near the bed. Nodding their thanks, he poured each of them a cup of hot tea from an ornate silver teapot.

Amelia scolded at the half closed blinds over her window and wondered out loud, "It would be nice if we could have some light in this room. It's been rather moody in here with the curtains closed."

Sun poured into the room as Zelgadis pulled back the curtain and she exclaimed breathlessly, "Oh! Look at all the flowers on the trees. I've been sleeping the spring away. I almost missed the blossoms in full bloom this month."

He never took his eyes off her as she looked outside her window. An idea popped in his head. "Would you like to have lunch outside? The weather is very nice today."

Amelia's eyes sparkled. "That would be great! But the head healer told me that staying inside would be best for me," she let the smile fade slightly.

He decided he had already broke one rule last night. It had been successful, so why not break another? Standing up he opened the doors to her balcony that overlooked the garden. He pushed the table and chairs onto the balcony, setting up their lunch and tea. He looked up to see Amelia trying to get out of bed. Her legs shook as she put weight on them and she stumbled forward. Zelgadis's chimera speed took control and he caught her before she could fall.

"Oh no…" she whined a bit, "I haven't been able to walk around much. Seems my legs are a bit weak. I would have made a mess of things," she apologized.

"I got you. Here, this might make it easier." He lifted her up in his arms. One arm supported her shoulders and the other under her knees.

Instinctively she put her arms around his neck. His cheeks reddened as she did so. Zelgadis carefully carried her to the balcony, placing her on one of the chairs. Quickly he sat down on the other, noting that she was blushing a little as well. He cleared his throat and he reached for the plate of small sandwiches and offered her one.

They talked pleasantly to one another, eating their lunch and sipping their tea. The air outside was sweet, fragrant and warm. Amelia was happy to be outside and she grinned from ear to ear, looking down at the garden and listening to the birds chirp. They recalled the days of their traveling a few years back. The conversation was easy and they enjoyed one another's company. Soon the sandwiches had been eaten, but they still continued to sit together at the table.

"Do you remember the time when we had to dress up as puppets?" Amelia recalled with a small giggle.

Zelagadis turned his eyes upward, "Oh don't remind me," he said with a grin. "That was one of the most humiliating things we ever had to do. Though if I remember correctly, your costume suited you just fine. A star of justice? Your father would have been proud," he teased.

"Can't say the same thing about your costume," she pointed back. "A bunny-rabbit! You did look rather cute!" she teased back, giggling while sipping her cup of tea. "Oh, remember Lina in the horse costume?" she exclaimed with delight.

Zelgadis almost choked on his tea, "I had forgotten about that. And Gourry as a jellyfish?" He finally let out a small laugh, "He never looked so at home."

Amelia had to hold a napkin up to her mouth as she giggled out loud. "I miss those days. Even through all the hardships, we did have some funny things happen to us."

He nodded with a smile. He poured himself another cup and poured her one as well, finishing the tea. Being amongst the garden surroundings brightened her spirit. It had only been a year, but Zelgadis could see how much she had changed in that short period of time. She still had the same perky, optimistic personality as she always did, but she had grown up as well. They had not spent long in each other's company, but being together had brought such comfortable familiarity to him.

"As much as I love helping daddy with his duties, I still miss the days when I was traveling with you and everyone. Even Xelloss!" She laughed when she saw the disgusted look on his face.

"You've really been cooped up here too long," Zelgadis said with a light, mocking frown.

"Thank you for suggesting us to have lunch out here," she sighed happily, changing the subject. "You have always been so resourceful," Amelia smiled sweetly at him. She tipped her teacup to him in a small playful salute.

"I used to have such a crush on you," she admitted with a blush, placing her cup down. "I can't believe I was suspicious of you when we first met. Lina told me that a hero of justice must overlook physical appearances. She was right and I never forgot it."

Zelgadis's ears burned, but continued to sip his tea. He looked up at her and saw that she had her eyes pointed downward as she spoke, hiding her own embarrassment.

"I know your condition haunts you. Even now I still care so very much for you," she declared softly and seriously. "You were right to push me away like you did. It was selfish of me to distract you from your dreams and I appolgize for that."

He put his cup down. She was apologizing to him? Of all people in her life, he was the one who needed to appolgize to her! He was at fault and he cursed himself for making her feel like a burden to him. He listened intently and tried to keep his face unemotional.

She continued and kept her head bowed, "I don't see anything wrong with you. You're still the brave and determined man I know and no cure will change that. You have your reasons and once you find your cure, I know it'll make you truly happy. I just can't stop myself from worrying about you from time to time out there." Amelia looked over the garden. "It's hard for me not to miss you."

She finally looked at him and smiled sadly. "Once you and the healers help me get over this infection, you can continue on your search. I'm sure we have some books in our library that might help you. Daddy won't mind if you take a few."

The look she gave him nearly did him in. She was letting him go. Amelia, who had been with him on countless adventures, who trusted and worried about him, was letting him go. Her sad smile spoke of friendship and possibly more. There was never a time that she was not on his mind, even on his journeys alone, no matter how hard he tried. Ceiphied help him.

He finally opened his mouth to say something, "Amelia, I…"

"What's going on here?" a voice demanded.

Zelgadis shut his eyes angrily and turned to the man standing beside Amelia's bed. Why did he always have to be interrupted?

"Why is the princess outside?" Dillis demanded again, "Why isn't she in bed? Having her outside in the elements will worsen her condition."

Amelia jumped and grabbed the edge of the chair to help her stand, "Mr. Dillis, it's not Mr. Zelgadis's fault! I told him I wanted to eat outside for a late lunch." She placed her hand over Zel's wrist.

Zelgadis held onto her shoulders, supporting her as she slowly walked to the bed. He interjected back at him, "Only after I insisted."

The gray-haired healer's eyes narrowed, "If you care about the princess's health, you'll let her recover before you parade her around again. Her life is not to be tampered with."

Zelgadis tried to ignore his cold remark and helped Amelia to the bed. She sat up against the pillows and folded her hands across her lap, "I'm fine, Mr. Dillis. I think being outside has done me some good."

The chimera did not leave her side. Standing over her protectively, his eyes never left Dillis's. How dare he just barge in like this!

"I'll be the judge of that," the healer said coolly. He gestured with a hand and the rest of the healers joined him by the bed. "It may be a bit early for a healing session, but I thought it best we start as soon as possible. I will be monitoring the whole session this time and only I will give the orders."

Zelgadis made a move to approach him with a look a determination written on his face.

Dillis raised an eyebrow at him, "Oh, there will be no need for your assistance today. You've done enough, Mr. Greywords. We will be using different tactics against the infection. Only this time we will use mine."

"Why are you changing tactics so soon?" Zelgadis held back a growl, "You said so yourself that the infection was weakening due to the amplification of my healing spell. Shouldn't we continue with that solution? Markus told me your previous attempts haven't faired well for over a month. He encouraged that you needed my help."

Dillis darted an eye toward Markus, who kept his head down submissively. Smoothing down his robes he replied, "Markus is still young and impulsive. He had no right to encourage your spells without my permission. An amplification of healing magic was only a temporary feat."

Amelia could feel the tension between Dillis and Zelgadis. She looked at them both and asked attentively, "But wasn't my father pleased with Zelgadis'?

Dillis smiled, his cold blue eyes sparkled at her assumption, "He was pleased with your chimera friend, yes," the corners of Zelgadis's mouth twitched at his remark, "But a shamanistic sorcerer has no place here."

Zelgadis advanced steadily on him, "Regardless of the matter, I want to be present."

"You may not be so lucky next time if another dilemma arises." Dillis scolded him coolly. "By order of the Prince, you are to stay out of this matter. Leave healer's work only to the healers."

The two men were almost nose-to-nose and Zelgadis could smell something foul admitting from him. It smelled metallic and it threw his senses into high alert. He wanted nothing more than to grab the man's gray beard and demand that he stay present with Amelia. Something did not seem right. Dillis was the only one in the room that wanted him to stay away from the princess. Leaving her alone with him left him uneasy.

Amelia watched Zelgadis as he took in Dillis's order angrily, standing protectively over her. She was aware of Zelgadis's distrust in the man and knew he would not take no for an answer. Taking a deep breath she spoke, "I will abide by my father's decision."

Zelgadis quickly shot her a concerned gaze. She touched his wrist and whispered to him, "Please speak with my father. I'm sure there has to be a reason. I'll be alright. If anything should happen, you'll be the first to know."

"But Amelia…" Zelgadis insisted. The look he gave told her he would not go down without a fight.

"I'll be fine. Just promise me that we'll have lunch together tomorrow. Okay?" Amelia smiled warmly up at him.

His muscles were tense and his fists were clenched, but the look Amelia made him soften. She was aware of the circumstances, but was willing to go through with it. Her eyes held strength and assurance. She truly had grown up. He would speak with Prince Phil as soon as possible and relay it to her tomorrow.

Zelgadis held back his anger enough to quickly bow to Dillis before leaving the room. He caught Markus's anxious glance as he stormed by him, but ignored it. The young healer's mouth opened, but closed it with a sigh, returning his attention to the head healer.

0000000

Zel waited outside of Prince Philionel's office. Lina and Gourry sat by him to keep him company. He had told them what had happened in Amelia's room. Lina scratched her chin, taking in the information before speaking.

"Makes you wonder what Dillis really told Phil. He's the only one that reports directly to him. He could be fabricating something just to throw you off guard. Phil would never make you leave unless you were making the situation worse!" she exclaimed, crossing her arms and legs, tapping her boot against the polished marble floor.

Zelgadis groaned and slumped in his seat, "That's what I'm here to find out. I don't trust that healer. I know he's up to something. Seems the moment she was getting better he's been suspicious of me."

"Maybe he doesn't like you doing his job?" Gourry inquired innocently, "Maybe you're putting him down and he doesn't like looking bad in front of Phil?"

Lina snapped her fingers, "Could be, Gourry. Maybe his performance will look bad for the country he's representing if he doesn't take the upper hand?"

The chimera shook his head. "I still think there's something more to it. When I first did a session with the healers, I smelled a strong metallic smell. I thought it was from Amelia's infection, since I sensed it when we first saw her yesterday. The smell weakened when the infection fell back in remission. But I can sense that metallic smell on Dillis."

"Maybe he sweats when he gets nervous?" Gourry asked and Lina elbowed him in the shoulder, "What?"

"That's not enough evidence for Phil to write him off," Lina concluded with a frown. "Gourry and I will help keep an eye out if we see anything suspicious."

Zelgadis nodded his thanks. The door to the royal office opened and he was escorted in by a palace guard. Once in the guard closed it behind him, leaving him alone in front of a large desk with the crest of Salliune carved on the front.

"Ah, Zelgadis, my boy," Prince Phil said cheerfully through tired eyes as he entered from a side door. "What can I do for you?"

"It's about Amelia," Zelgadis began urgently. "Dillis has dismissed me from aiding the other healers. He said you excused me from my duties with them."

Phil fingered at his bushy mustache and gave him a confused glance, "You never had a duty with them in the first place, though I appreciate your interest in Amelia's affairs and concern for her health."

He sat in his chair and placed both his hands on the desk, "But Dillis said your spell was merely an accident. His skills as a healer are known throughout Saillune and I feel more comfortable using his techniques."

"Then why has it taken over two months before Amelia to show any signs of recovery?" Zelgadis pointed out, "Don't you find it strange he's finally using a different tactic only after I interfered? Wouldn't it be better to let me help?"

Phil ground out sternly, "Dillis has made it clear to me that the infection has been slowly returning since this morning. He said your spell may have held it back temporarily and is coming back even stronger."

"Come back?" Zegladis straightened in his seat. "Is this what Dillis told you?" He remembered Markus telling him that everything was fine this morning.

"Yes. He said his healers will see to it that they use a different technique this evening to fight the infection." Phil said with confidence.

Zelgadis grabbed the edges of the armrests of his seat, "But they're seeing to her now!"

"That's good!" Phil smiled, "They are seeing to her sooner than I thought they would." He noticed that Zelgadis had not looked pleased with this information, "Tell me Zelgadis, why are you here? I know you're Amelia's good friend but their business is none of your concern. They are doing the best they can to help her."

"I don't think Dillis's first priority is to Amelia's health." Zelgadis said carefully, throwing caution to the wind.

"And why would you say that? I hired only the best healers and he is a ally of Saillune." Phil pushed, his eyes narrowing at Zelgadis. "I am aware of your determination. You are a very driven man and I applaud you for that, but perhaps your interest with the healers may be misguided."

The prince rubbed at his chin and implored the young man, "Until Amelia makes a full recovery, please stay out of the healers way."

He was then quietly dismissed.

Zelgadis's temples throbbed with frustration outside the door. Dillis had been relaying false information to the Prince in order to remove him from Amelia's side. Phil had always been a very trusting person. He had no proof too show him, other than what his instincts had been telling him. As much respect as Phil held for Zelgadis, who was he going to believe; A deformed sorcerer swordsmen or a highly trained healer? He had to find proof and quick.

Amelia could be in danger right underneath her father's eyes.


	5. Patience is the Name of the Game

**Forgotten Letters**

By Verdigris

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of the Slayers universe. If you try to sue, you won't get much out of me!

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay! Life has been getting in the way and I had a lot of trouble with this chapter. I ended up rewriting it several times. Thanks again for your reviews!

Chapter 5: Patience is the Name of the Game

Night had fallen over the castle leaving the hallways silent and empty. The torches along the side of the halls cast its dim light across the walls. Zelgadis laid on his bed in one of the palace's many guest rooms. Still fully awake and anxious, his head was so full he thought it might burst. What was Dillis up to? Why was he relaying false information about Amelia's infection to the Prince?

Several times in the night he thought of sneaking into Amelia's room to check up on her. He felt helpless and alone in his plight. What if Dillis did something to her? He turned onto his side and pounded a fist into his pillow. No doubt a guard would be there and the Prince would be the first to know if Zelgadis was caught. Prince Phlionel would most certainly stop at nothing to remove him from her side, thanks to the damn head healer. He made up his mind. He would have to wait until morning. Rolling onto his back, he willed himself to sleep so the morning would come sooner.

It finally came after what had seemed like days. It was still very early, less than an hour before dawn and he could not wait any longer. He had only a few hours sleep, but it was more than enough for him. Stealing out of his room he stood at the railing of the banister, looking down and listening for any sound or movement. He could not hear the sounds of the cooks in the kitchen. It must be very early and not many of the palace residents were up. Breakfast would be a good time to sneak into Amelia's room and the guards would be on break. He had to make sure she was out of danger, but he needed to wait.

Slipping into the courtyard to get some fresh air, he paced up and down the stone walkways, running ideas through his head. Dillis seemed adamant to inform the Prince of the Amelia's failing health, but she had been fine yesterday. Even Markus, the young healer, told him the infection had faded back and she was recovering. His patience was wearing thin and leaving Amelia alone left him on edge. He wondered if Amelia would be well enough to see him during the afternoon around lunch. He would have to tell her about Dillis. She had to be prepared if anything should happen.

The scent of flowers caught him off guard and he realized that he was standing underneath one of Amelia's favorite trees. Some of the blossoms had fallen from the branches and were floating softly down at his feet. He caught one in mid air and examined it. The petals had a pink hue in the middle and it faded into a brilliant white on the tips of the flower. She had loved sitting outside with him on her balcony and seeing these beautiful flowers. He placed the flower in his belt.

A slashing sound echoed through the garden and woke Zelgadis from his thoughts. Across from him, Gourry was practicing his swordplay, swinging it expertly in an open area behind the rose bushes. He stopped when he caught sight of Zelgadis and waved to him.

"Hey Zel!" he called out.

"What are you doing up so early?" Zelgadis inquired, needing a distraction to keep from going crazy.

Gourry took a few more swings at the air and said between breaths, "Lina's tossing and turning woke me up. She claims it's because of the baby, but to tell you the truth, she's always done that. My ribs were getting a beating, so I decided to come out here and practice. What about you?"

"Just worrying about Amelia," Zelgadis confessed and spoke softly just in case a guard was near by. "I need to see her, but a guard is at her door. I plan to see her when everyone is distracted at breakfast."

"Lina and I are worried about her too," Gourry said with a sad sigh and smiled toward Zelgadis's direction. "I'm sure things will turn out right. You're looking out for her,"

Zelgadis leaned against a brick wall in the garden and kicked at a stray rock. "Other than watching Amelia from afar, there's not much else I can do. I hate it."

"You wanna spar?" Gourry asked changing the subject. "The guards are still on duty. They normally spar with me in the mornings, but they're busy. That always helps me clear my head!"

Zelgadis bit back a grin. That explained a lot.

He shrugged, "Perhaps you're right." Swordplay had always been a good stress reliever for him. No sense barging in without thinking clearly and making the situation worse.

The sparring was light and easy at first, then it began to heat up and the sounds of their swords began to clash loudly. Both of them had years of skill under their belts, so neither one were in danger. The two of them used to spar daily back in their traveling days and they knew each other's strengths and weaknesses.

Taking a breath between attacks Gourry spoke, "What do you plan to do after Amelia gets better?"

Grunting as he blocked a swing from Gourry, Zelgadis replied, "Probably go back to searching for my cure."

Gourry gave him a confused look before blocking an attack, "Why? I thought you were Amelia's protector?"

"Huh?" Zelgadis pulled back and retorted, "I wouldn't call myself her protector."

"Bodyguard, then?" Gourry added, coming back with a low strike.

Zelgadis dodged it nimbly and parried, "I'm not anything! I'm just a friend. That's all she expects of me."

Gourry thrust forward and locked swords with the chimera. He narrowed his eyes at him between the two swords, "You want to leave after this is all over?"

They stood there with swords locked, waiting for the other to pull back. Zelgadis stared hard into Gourry's eyes. His blue eyes bore into his. Zelgadis returned his stare and pushed Gourry forward and fell backward, but regained his footing.

Zelgadis almost shouted at him, " I…" but cleared it and paused before speaking under his breath and sheathed his sword. "I don't know. She told me I was right to leave her alone. She even said she was sorry getting in my way in the first place. Yet, her reasons were different from the ones I expected. She wants me to be happy."

He picked up the flower out of his belt and looked it. Talking softly he spoke, "I didn't read any of those letters she gave me. You and Lina have already guessed that much. I was scared of what was inside of them. After all this time, I broke her heart and even though she claims to have moved on…" he sighed deep, "I'm not sure how I feel about that. I thought I'd be relieved to hear it, but I'm not."

Gourry did not speak a word. He only put away his own sword and approached Zelgadis with a warm smile. He placed a hand on his shoulder, "As Lina's protector I gave her not only my sword and strength: I gave her my life. You are Amelia's protector and you know it. We all do."

Zelgadis stared blankly at his friend. He always came across as a dimwitted mercenary that preferred to let Lina do the talking. Behind his supposed thick skull, Gourry knew more than he let his friends give him credit for. Zelgadis dropped his head momentarily and lifted it up with crestfallen smile.

"I will not let her down. I've avoided and ignored her for too long," he said sternly before giving Gourry a quick nod and heading out of the courtyard.

"Hey Gourry," Lina said with a large yawn, skipping up from behind her fiancé. "What did you and Zel talk about?"

Gourry smiled down at her before giving her a hug and shrugged, "Nothing much. Just bodyguard stuff."

0000000

Zelgadis peered around the corner of a marble column. It was still early and there was no guard at the door, which perplexed him. Not wanting to look a gift-horse in the mouth, he headed straight for her door. Letting himself inside he walked up to her sleeping form. She was curled up on her side, not facing him, almost lying on her stomach. The bed-sheet was balled up around her face and it hid most of it. When he reached down to lightly push the sheet away from her eyes, she grabbed his hand. He flinched, but noticed that she was still asleep.

Her eyes were closed and she murmured in a breathy voice, "Zelgadis…"

He was startled, but did not pull his hand away. Her forehead was dotted with perspiration and she was breathing heavy again. Her fingers closed around his. He leaned down and put his other hand on top of hers.

Kneeling down, he whispered softly in reassurance, "Don't worry, I'm here…"

As he held her hand he was hit with an overwhelming scent. It was the same metallic, sickly smell that he encountered earlier. It was stronger and made his nasal passages burn. That put his senses on high alert. She had been fine hours earlier. What had made the infection come back so quickly?

The door creaked. Letting her hand go, he turned urgently to look over his shoulder. He saw someone standing in her doorway. Ducking down behind the side of the bed, he waited. Zelgadis did not hear the sound of clinking armor of an armed guard, but the faint hiss of robes sliding on the marble floor. His hand was on his sword hilt and he rose from her bedside. The figure in the doorway threw its hands in the air with a sharp yelp.

"Oh! I'm terribly sorry!" Markus cried in a cracked voice, "I didn't realize you were here, Zelgadis."

He stood up straight and glowered at the young healer, letting his hand fall from his sword. "I suppose you'll tell the head healer I'm up here," he accused.

Markus's face look panicked and he waved his hands at him. "No, of course not. I just came up here to see the princess." He cleared his throat, trying to calm himself down. "I see you you're worried about her as well."

Zelgadis kept his eyes narrowed at him. He stood between the healer and the bed, "She doesn't appear to be sleeping well. What happened last night after I was kicked out?"

Markus shook his head, "I'm sorry for bringing you into this, Zelgadis. Dillis isn't normally so secretive and evasive, but he is a traditional man and having someone with no white magic background work with us..." he paused, rubbing the back of his neck, "it must have been bit insulting to him. Please don't take it personal."

"He told Prince Philionel that the infection had worsened. He also added that it was my fault tampering with your spells." Zelgadis growled back, letting him know of the seriousness of the situation.

Markus blinked his eyes in surprise, "What? No, you've been nothing but helpful to us! Dillis may have not wanted you working with us, but he wouldn't lie to the Prince. At least, I don't think he would take that far…"

"You have your doubts as well?" Zelgadis cornered him in between the door.

The healer tried his eyes away from Zelgadis's, but forced himself to look at the chimera and admitted, "We were so hopeful that Amelia was responding well to the treatment, especially when you stepped it. Dillis was the only one who was not satisfied for some reason or another."

"Why would he be unsatisfied with Amelia's recovery?" Zelgadis's face was a picture of sheer determination. He knew he was hiding something. His eyes were narrowed and they bore into the young healer's.

Knowing that Zelgadis would not let him leave without a straight answer, he sighed before speaking. Markus stated slowly, "When you left, Dillis ordered us to use his tactics. It would use twice the healing power and a special charm known only to healers of high status. I suggested that we ease up on the treatment, since the infection was retreating. I refused to use anymore spells would weaken her life energy in her state of recovery. He then ordered me to leave and banned me from the evening session for not following orders."

Zelgadis grabbed the man by the collar, pulling him close. In a harsh voice, he scowled, "And you didn't tell the Prince? The man is lying to her father, telling him she's still sick for no reason and you're doing nothing!"

"He threatened to take my accreditations away! I was already in trouble for allowing your shamanistic magic on the princess and I panicked!" Markus moaned. "I've worked so hard to be a healer worthy of Salliune. My sister as well… I couldn't…" his voice wavered almost into a sob.

"You care more about your position as a healer than the princess that you swore to care for!" The chimera's voice so cold and his eyes flared, tugging on his collar harder.

The young healer gasped and interjected between breaths, "Which is why I've personally come down to see to the princess myself!"

He tugged at Zelgadis's hand to loosen it and grated out painfully, "The spell Dillis and the other healers placed on her would be very hard on her system. It would in fact drain her life energy so it would be too weak to fight off what was left of the infection! I tried to convince the other healers about this, but Dillis insisted I was wrong! When I retaliated back, he banned me. This is why I'm here. I wanted to see if my predictions were true. Please, let me go!"

Zelgadis loosened his grip on the healer's collar. His eyes softened, seeing that the boy was trying to atone for his silence yesterday evening. "You're telling me that Dillis wants Amelia to remain ill?"

The man coughed and nodded, looking ashamed while rubbing his throat, "That's exactly what I'm saying. He removed us from her for a reason."

Sighing through his nose, Zelgadis muttered, "I least I have someone else on my side. How weak is she now?"

Markus walked over to Amelia's bed and brushed the covers away from her face. The skin on her face was pale and he moved her onto her back. He studied her for several minutes and spoke while holding a small spell in his hand, "Her energy is very weak and the infection is growing. Ceiphied damnit it all, I was right! Dillis was probably counting on that."

"I'll kill him," Zelgadis declared darkly, "Why would he do this?"

"I don't know, but we'll find out. If Dillis already reported to the Prince that she was still ill, he is going to make sure she stays ill before his next report." Markus shook his head sadly, "I've been a fool. I should have said something sooner."

Zelgadis urgently asked, "Can you increase her life energy to fight it off? If we can make Amelia well enough for the next evening session, we can prove to the Prince that Dillis is a fraud!"

Markus let a smile form on his lips, "You can help me. If we can do what we did yesterday she just might recover enough to throw Dillis off his guard."

They decided to start as soon as possible and Markus began his spell, holding it over Amelia, "I prefer if we keep my sister out of this. If something should happen, I want her to be okay."

"I'll make sure of it," Zelgadis promised, readying his own spell to amplify his.

He knew Markus was risking a lot to go sneaking behind the head healer's back. Then again, he was a healer of Saillune and everything he was risking was for Amelia's benefit. He would keep an eye out for him and his sister. In a short while, the color began to appear on Amelia's face. Even her lips returned to a healthy pink as her life energy strengthened. The glowing ball of healing magic glimmered and dimmed when they were finished.

Amelia shifted in the sheets and sighed contentedly in her sleep. Her pain had obviously been eased and Markus carefully reviewed over his work. He seemed pleased at his examination.

"She should be fine for now. Her life energy will take care of the rest. Thank you again, Zelgadis. You reminded me to always put the Saillune family first, no matter what the cost," he finished with a proud smile. Bravely he encountered, "What do we do now?"

Zelgadis sat on a chair next to Amelia's bed and watched her sleep soundly. "I'll stay with her the rest of the day. There were no guards at the door for some reason, so anyone at anytime could have come in here. If Dillis decides to check up on his handy work, I'll be ready for him. Until she wakes up we can't contact the Prince. He needs to see her before Dillis makes another false report. You should go down for breakfast, but keep your wits about you."

The young healer nodded in understanding, but Zelgadis could tell he was very nervous about conspiring against his elder. It could very well destroy his career within Salliune and Dillis had the power to do so if they messed up. Markus wanted to help Amelia at all costs and he would make sure Prince Philonel knew of his deed after all was said and done.

"I'll try and delay the healers," Markus thought out loud. "We will prove that the Princess is getting better before Dillis has another chance."

Zelgadis held out his hand to the young man, "Then it's settled then."

Markus blinked at the chimera out-stretched hand, but quickly regained himself before reaching out his own to him. The deal was sealed. Quickly the two men decided to meet before the evening to tell Prince Philonel. Markus left through Amelia's door quietly while Zelgadis sat at her bedside.

He placed the tree blossom on her nightstand so she would see it when she woke up. Zelgadis would remain at her side for as long as it took. As Gourry stated before, he was her protector.

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Markus looked behind him a few times before descending the stairwell. It seemed to be safe enough. As he walked down, a gray bearded figure stood silently near one of the marble columns in the shadows, watching the young man as he joined the others for their morning meal.

"Very interesting," Dillis thought as he watched the healer disappear. "Very interesting indeed."

TBC


	6. Last Chance

**Forgotten Letters**

By Verdigris

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of the Slayers universe. If you try to sue, you won't get much out of me!

Author's Note: Thanks again for your reviews everyone!

Chapter 6: Last Chance

Amelia slowly awoke and she felt her head begin to throb as soon as she opened her eyes. She remembered the healers placing a sleeping spell on her before the session had begun yesterday evening. Judging from the light coming through the curtains it was already past noon. She pushed herself up and rubbed at her eyes sleepily. Her head was swimming and wondered why she had slept in so late.

"Good afternoon," she heard a familiar deep voice say from the side of her bed. Amelia shifted and turned to her dear friend sitting beside her in a small chair. She smiled brightly at him through the dull pain in her head.

"How long have you been here?" she asked with sleep still in her voice.

Zelgadis shrugged, his arms crossed over his chest. "A few hours at the most."

Amelia eagerly moved further up onto the pillows and the sudden movement made her a bit dizzy. She groaned and rubbed at her temple, "I hope I didn't give you too much trouble," she teased. "I'm not sure what happened last night. I certainly didn't expect to find you watching over me."

He smiled a little and raised an eyebrow, "You said you wanted to meet me for lunch today, so I thought I'd sit and wait." Zelgadis picked up the tree blossom from her nightstand and gave it to her, "Just in case you weren't up to eating outside on the balcony."

She gasped in surprise and took the flower gleefully, inhaling its scent. "Well I'm very happy you did! That was very sweet of you," she giggled. "Are you sure that's the real reason?" Amelia slyly added with mocking suspicion.

Zelgadis cleared his throat uncomfortably before he spoke. He hated to ruin her good mood. "Actually there is. How are you feeling this morning?"

"Like I shared a tent with Lina when she's dreaming about food," Amelia let a little bit of the pain show on her face as she rubbed at her head again. "Was the session rather rough last night? What did daddy tell you why the head healer dismissed you?"

Zelagdis's face turned serious and he explained to her what he had discovered in her father's office and with his meeting with Markus early in the morning. He watched her eyes carefully as he spoke, hoping that it would not distress her. She merely listened and while she was surprised by the new information, she did not seem frightened. Instead she stayed stoically silent for a few more moments.

"So you've been staying with me in case Dillis decides to give me an unexpected visit?" she asked softly.

He nodded and crossed his arms and legs as he leaned back in his chair. She suddenly shot up an arm and exclaimed, "What a horrible thing to do! Allowing a grown woman to be sick! In the name of Justice I'll punish that man!"

Zelgadis winced and drew her arm down with a gentle hand. Amelia was fuming and he had to admit she never looked more radiant, even in the middle of a justice speech. Her deep blue eyes were sparkling with life and if he did not know any better, the Amelia he knew had completely returned: He could not help but smile to himself. Prince Philionel would have no choice to discredit Dillis when he saw her strong spirit.

"So you see why I've haven't left your side all morning," Zelgadis explained. "Though it looks as though you've recovered enough to take care of that man yourself." he chuckled, "We'll have to see his reaction to your father after he sees you. That might speak more for itself."

Amelia calmed down and lightly fell back onto the pillows. She gave him a cheerful but determined smile, "Well, I do feel much better than I have in weeks. I'm sure after my headache goes away, that healer will have much to contend with." She leaned forward, "Not that I'm not pleased with you as my protector. I rather enjoy it." Amelia blushed.

Her protector. Zelgadis liked that sound of that and he felt a small sense of pride blossom warmly in his chest. Amelia was still smiling at him and he could see her blue eyes shine through her dark eyelashes as they fluttered ever so slightly.

"So…" she said slowly into his eyes, breaking the silence with a small grin. Zelgadis felt embarrassed that he had been caught staring at her. She sat up, "Lunch is still on? You must be hungry."

Both their stomachs growled at the same time. "I think you're right," Zelgadis grinned, finally feeling content after many hours of worry and stress.

0000000

Lina balanced a few books in her hands and a map under her arm. She carried them from the library to a table and stretched her back. Folding out the map, she smoothed it down and looked it over. Not long after their defeat of Dark Star, discoveries of new lands and continents were abound. Saillune had the most updated maps and books on the latest findings on the new parts of the world. No doubt Zelgadis had looked through a few of these books. New lands meant new opportunities to find an answer for his cure. To her it meant treasure and riches, but with a baby on the way there was no time to for that now. Not at least until 'junior' was born. One could always dream.

She heard the door open and saw a young woman peeking her head into the library. Lina recognized her as Ellie, one of the Saillune healers. It was hard not to miss the white and blue robes that hung down from her arms and legs. She tucked a long strand of blond hair out of her eyes as she scanned the library.

She spotted Lina and she smiled at her. Her expression seemed to be an anxious one, but she tried to hide it with politeness, "Good afternoon, Miss Inverse."

"Is it afternoon already?" Lina groaned and stretched her back again, "Guess I've been in the library longer than I thought. What brings you to this part of the palace?"

Ellie's smile drooped, "Looking for my brother, Markus. I haven't seen him all day."

"He wasn't at breakfast?" Lina asked and the young woman shook her head. "Well, I'll let you know if I see him."

"Thank you," Ellie replied gratefully, but as she turned away Lina could see the apprehension on her face. She wondered if they had gotten into an agreement.

Gourry strode inside and grinned excitedly when he saw Lina, "Hey, I was just about to go and visit Amelia and Zel. You wanna come?"

"I was just about to suggest that myself. I've been itching to do some work around here. Help me with these books, will ya?" Lina ordered, placing the large stack of books in his arms. He cleared his throat noisily and Lina rolled her eyes. She stood up on her tiptoes and pecked him on the cheek and hissed, "Please?"

"That's better," he rewarded with a smile, helping her put away the books.

"Just be glad this baby is mellowing me out," Lina stuck her tongue out at him.

0000000000

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Zelgadis warned, crossing his arms while sitting on the small chair.

They were sharing a small lunch in her room over a game of chess. A chessboard sat on the sheets of Amelia's bed with Zelgadis's chair pushed up close so he could play. He had spotted the game sitting in her room and was impressed when she admitted to playing chess with her father when he had time off from his duties. It was Zelgadis's favorite game as a child and she was quite good at it. He never took her for playing such a quiet and thought provoking strategy game in her spare time.

Amelia gave him a wink and grinned while poising a hand over one of the white pawns, "Oh? Are you threatening me, Mr. Zelgadis?" The chimera raised an eyebrow at her old way of addressing him.

"Take it as precautionary advice," he shot back with a competitive look.

She moved her hand and went for another pawn, picking it up and moved it. Zelgadis rubbed at his chin, "That was a good move," he complimented. He took a bite from his lunch and moved his black knight, knocking her pawn out of the way. "But not good enough. Always trust your instincts," he reprimanded.

"Oh you little…" Amelia pouted. "That was a cheap shot! You've been around Lina too long."

Zelgadis pointed a finger at her, "Take that back."

Without faltering, Amelia made another move and took out one of his pawns, "Ha!" She had distracted him and she knew it.

"You played my bluff, princess," Zelgadis scolded in a mocking tone and grinned, "I didn't know you could be so sneaky."

The game carried on for another hour or so until Zelgadis pronounced the end of the game with a checkmate. Amelia proved to be a challenging opponent. While he used logic and experience, she kept him on his toes with surprising and unpredictable tactics. It complemented each other very well. Their lunch had been finished and they set aside the game for now.

"I haven't had this much fun in ages," Amelia chirped happily and declared, "We should do this more often!"

He leaned forward in his seat and nodded his agreement with a smile, "I don't think I've had a more enjoyable lunch."

Amelia's smile faded and she sat back against her pillows. His own smile faded and he inquired, "Is something wrong? Are you feeling alright?"

"No, I feel fine," she quickly eased his fears with a gentle glint of her eye. "It's just that I won't see you as much anymore when this is all over." Amelia rubbed her eyes in embarrassment, trying to make her point quickly with no avail, "What I mean is… once I'm better, it'll go back to the way things used to be. I know I'm only stalling you in your search for your cure. I've just missed you so much and having you here again, looking out for me like you used to do, it's brought back so many wonderful memories."

She finally looked at him, tears swimming in her eyes, "Please forgive me for saying so, but it's going to be hard to let you go a second time."

Zelgadis felt the guilt well up into his throat at the sight of her tears. She needed to know. "Amelia…" he began, moving his chair forward and it squeaked against the floor, "There's something you need to know."

"Yes?" Amelia whispered, not blinking.

"Hey! Knock knock!" Lina called out loudly as she opened the door. "Are we interrupting anything?" The cold hard stare from Zelgadis answered her question.

Amelia glanced at Zelgadis as he groaned, burying his face in his hands before getting up from his seat, leaving his explanation unfinished. She was about to say something to him when Gourry picked up her chess set from her bed.

"Oh boy, I love checkers!" Gourry said as he barged in front of Lina, picking up one of the game pieces.

"Those aren't checkers." Zelgadis corrected flatly before turning his back to them.

Lina ignored the brooding chimera and sat down on the edge of Amelia's bed, "Wow! You look so much better, Amelia. I take it you've make a full recovery in a day or so, huh?"

Zelgadis walked away from the bed and Amelia followed him with her eyes. They were laced with confusion, but she was quickly brought to attention by Lina's ever enthusiastic and pushy inquiry, "Huh? Oh. I'm doing great!"

Amelia quickly explained what Zelgadis had told her and Lina grinned wickedly, rubbing her hands together. "Oh, someone is so getting a beat down! I can't wait to see that guy's face when Phil lets him have it."

The chimera listened to them talk and he stared out the window, cursing to himself. He should be overjoyed that Amelia wanted him to stay. He wanted nothing more than to be with her as long as he was able. The more time he spent with her, the more he realized how much of a fool he was to leave her in the first place. If she knew that all of her letters had gone unread and that he was purposely ignoring her while she worried for his pathetic, selfish life… Suddenly a brightness in the window shook him out of his thoughts. The sun was beginning to set and the evening was almost here. He had forgotten about his meeting with Markus. He was supposed to meet with him up here in Amelia's room and they were loosing daylight fast.

"Lina! Did you see Markus downstairs?" Zelgadis nearly shouted, interrupting her conversation with Amelia.

Lina gave him a perplexed look, "No I haven't. His sister was looking for him too. She hasn't seen him all day. Why is this guy suddenly so popular?"

Zelgadis growled and began to stalk out of the room. He called over his shoulder, "I have to find him. I need his credibility to prove Dillis wrong before he tries anything else!"

He had a sinking feeling something was not right. Leaving them dumbfounded in the room, he ran out of the door and down the stairs. Zelgadis almost knocked over a few of the palace servants in his hurry to reach the Prince's office. As he went for the door, Prince Phil opened it, stopping the chimera right in his tracks.

"Oh! Why if it isn't Mr. Zelgadis Greywords. How are you, my boy?" he extended a hand, but Zelgadis cut him off.

"I'm sorry sir, but I need to know something. Have you already had a report from Dillis today? Did Markus the healer speak to you?" Zelgadis grated out with a shortness of breath.

Prince Philionel put his hands on his hips, "Now, Zelgadis, I thought I warned you about interfering…"

"Please sir," Zelgadis forced out through clenched teeth, "This very much concerns your daughter's life! Did Markus speak with you?"

The Prince's mustache bristled with irritation, "I haven't seen the lad. Is there something you need to tell me?"

A scream echoed through the hallway, startling both Zelgadis and Prince Phil. Looking at each other for a moment, they followed the sound of the scream to the guest room wing. The healers were talking excitedly, hovering around one of the rooms. Some of them were in the small guest room, standing over a figure slumped in the corner. Ellie's cries had stifled as she held the head of her brother, Markus. He was half lying in her arms, his eyes closed and a trail of blood dripping out of the side of his mouth.

"What happened? What is going on?" Prince Phil demanded urgently. He placed a warm hand on Ellie's shoulder as she wept. "Who did this?"

Eli whimpered, "I-I-I don't know! I knocked on his door this morning and I when he didn't answer, I thought he had gone somewhere else. When I finally went back to his room just a moment ago, I found him inside unconscious and hurt. His breathing is shallow and it's slowing down…"

Zelgadis stared in horror at the young healer, cradled in the arms of his sister. The other healers were trying to help by placing spells to revive Markus. After a few moments, his eyes started to flutter open and their loud sighs of relief resounded off the walls of the room. Ellie's tears ceased and she kissed him on the cheek as she continued to hold him.

"Give him some room to speak," Philionel's voice boomed, instructing the over-lookers to move back.

Markus coughed and sputtered in his throat, "Where is she?"

"Who?" Philionel asked, kneeling down to look at the boy.

"The princess…" Markus asked again through a groan. His eyelids were heavy and he looked like he was about to pass out again. Ellie shook him gently to keep him awake.

"Upstairs," Zelgadis answered, stooping down to look at him and reassure him. "She's safe."

The young healer's eyes opened in panic, "But you're down here…"

"Yes, but tell us who did this to you," Zelgadis tilted his head, narrowing his eyes slightly. He knew why.

"It was Dillis…" Markus trailed off, fighting to stay conscious. Prince Philionel's eyes widened and shut tightly at the information. "He came into my room this morning…threw a spell at me and told me I wasn't going to give him anymore trouble…" he forced out a breath, "He knows we know… Zelgadis, he's trying to kill her… Cepheid, why are you down here?"

Zelgadis's face went pale as everyone went silent in shock. Lina and Gourry came into the room, trying to catch their breath, "What's going on here? We heard someone scream, so we came down." Lina gasped out.

"You left Amelia alone?" Zelgadis yelled at his two friends, jumping to his feet.

"Yes, but…" Lina said while trying to catch her breath, but Zelgadis took off running the other direction. She punched Gourry in the arm, "I told you we shouldn't have left!"

"You did not!" Gourry hissed back.

"Follow me! We have to get to Amelia's room quickly before it's too late!" Zelgadis yelled behind him, ray-winging himself to the top floor over the banister. Lina and Gourry followed suit, with Gourry running up the stairs.

Prince Philionel ordered gruffly to the nearest guard he could find, "Where are the guards? They were supposed to be taking their post at her room!" He ordered the ones on duty to head quickly to his daughter's bedroom. Bounding up the stairs after them, he called out to the guards manning their post at the entrance of the castle, "Make sure no one leaves!"

000000

Amelia hated staying in bed all day. No matter how exciting things were outside her room, she was not allowed to leave. Lina and Gourry had run out of her bedroom when they heard screaming coming downstairs. They had left so quickly, that she had no time to react. She was worried and wondered who was in trouble. She felt she was strong enough to at least leave her room to see what going on.

Lifting herself off the bed, she welcomed the feel of the floor on her bare feet. Her legs were weak due to not regularly using them, but she steadied herself by holding onto the bedpost. Standing up straight, she felt a determined smile appear on her face. She was going to help who ever was in trouble, illness or not. If anything, that would prove that she was recovering in front of everyone. Then the door of her bedroom opened, slowly creaking as the doorknob turned.

"Zelgadis, is that you?" Amelia called out at the open door. A gray-bearded figure in long green robes stood in the doorway.

Dillis gave her a soft, gentle smile and his cool blue eyes stared at her intensely, "You should stay in bed. You don't want to make yourself ill," he instructed in a low voice.

"It's you that's making me ill!" Amelia's eyes went wide and she gripping the bedpost to keep upright. "Ever since I left Ralteague, when my father and I met with you in your kingdom, I had fallen ill. You've deceived me and my father!"

"Found all of that out, have you?" he said with a smirk.

"I thought you were an ally of the Saillune kingdom?" Amelia glared hatefully at the man before her.

"Perhaps if you and your father were not so trusting, you would have known that not everyone in Ralteague sides with your kingdom," he said cryptically in a voice that cut like a knife.

Amelia said nothing, but readied herself for his next move, trying to ignore her shaking knees. They threatened to give out at any moment as he continued advancing on her slowly.

Dillis's grin warped into a dangerous smirk and he approached her slowly and steadily, "Your chimera friend is a clever one. His shamanistic magic kept your life energy strong, even against the powerful infection I placed on you. You would have died in a matter of days if it weren't for him."

Her eyes widened at the truth, but she stayed firm. "He also made one of your kingdom's healers to work against me, but I took care of that fool before he could warn your father of my real intent. No one here knows how much I'm capable to doing and I will continue what I started with you. Believe me, you will never leave this room alive."

Amelia had enough and drew herself up to her full height and let go of the bedpost. She held up a hand and yelled, "Fireball!"

Dillis's blocked it with an attack of his own and her spell counteracted against his. Falling against the side of the bed from the impact of his charm with a sharp crack, she pushed herself onto her arms long enough to see his hand sweep upward.

The door slammed shut and locked tight behind them.

TBC

Thank you again for your reviews. I tried to finish this story be the end of June, but it looks like it'll take a little longer than I planned. I've been trying to get a chapter out every week, but the next chapter will be online in two weeks at the very most. Going on a trip to New York City with a buddy of mine. It'll be nice to get out of the hot, humid weather in Florida!


	7. Goodbye

**Forgotten Letters**

By Verdigris

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of the Slayers universe. If you try to sue, you won't get much out of me!

Author's Note: Thanks again for your reviews! I'm sad to say I have yet to see Slayers Revolution. That's kinda cool that Amelia beat Zelgadis in chess in the later series. All my knowledge of the characters ends with Try. I'll have to suck it up and see the new series very soon.

* * *

Chapter 7: Goodbye

The palace guards reached the large white door to Amelia's bedroom. Zelgadis, Lina and Gourry skidded to a halt, armed and ready as they approached the entrance. Prince Philionel took up the rear, barking orders to the guards. They pulled at the wooden door. It was shut tight and not even the strength of the three guards could open it. They tried kicking it and heaved their shoulders against the door numerous times, but it would not budge.

Lina placed a hand on the wooden frame and explained, "It's sealed with a charm. Brute force alone won't do any good."

Zelgadis's fear heightened at the sight of the magically sealed locked door. Perhaps they already were too late. Pushing back his fear in order to stay focused, he readied a bright spell with one hand. He turned to the Prince and gritted out through his teeth, "If we may…"

Prince Philionel growled with his sword in hand. "Whatever it takes!"

With a loud explosion, Zelgadis let loose a powerful spell and it splintered the beautiful white painted door to almost nothing. Luckily the force of the explosion did not reach the base of the room where the bed was located. A cloud of the destroyed door hung thickly in the air as they franticly searched the room. The guards stood ready as the others barged in ahead, pushing through the dust and grime.

The cloud began to lift and Amelia's bed was empty. Zelgadis trudged forward, stepping over the broken chair where he had recently sat by her side. He quickly evaluating the scene through the thick fog. The bed was singed and bed sheets were puddled around the wooden legs. As Lina and Gourry searched the room for any sign of Amelia and the healer, he saw that the balcony doors were open. Sprinting toward the open glass doors his heart skipped and his legs suddenly became heavy.

Amelia was sprawled out among the broken table and chairs, her hair spread around her face. Prince Philionel was at his side and let out a cry that sounded like something between a yell and a moan. Zelgadis grabbed one of the doorknobs of the glass door to keep from stumbling at the sight of her body crumpled among the broken furniture. She was on her side, her legs curled up near her stomach with her arms tucked in close to her chest. Her pink gown was singed and blackened and he could see burns along her legs and arms where the fabric was torn. Amidst the grainy dust in the air, an intense metallic smell began to take over his senses. He was beginning to believe the worse. Her father reached down and picked her up, holding her to his massive chest, tears trailing down his face. Her face was ghostly white and her lips were a pale blue color. He barely noticed Lina and Gourry until he heard Lina's strangled gasp. Her hands flew to cover her mouth at the grisly sight and Gourry held onto her shoulders, his blue eyes wide in shock.

Amelia looked so tiny and frail in her father's arms, almost like a small child. No one spoke and they were silent for several minutes. Zelgadis felt like he was floating instead of standing. He felt like he was in a terrible nightmare, one that he wished he could wake up from. He should have never left her alone.

Was he too late? Realization began to set in and his stomach began to churn. He may never hear her speak or see her bright blue eyes again. The hot tears behind his eyes began to blur his vision, making the scene all the more dream-like.

The Prince broke the sorrowful silence with a choked voice, "My little girl. I was such a fool to allow that man into our home. What has he done to you?"

Several cries of distress echoed behind them and Zelgadis turned numbly to the right a saw several of the healers enter the room. Ellie was supporting Markus with his arm over her shoulder. He was fully conscious, but still very weak. His face was flushed and his eyes were watery. Whether it was because of his own injuries or the sight of Amelia, he did not know.

"It can't be…" he gasped softy, staring at the princess lying in the Prince's arms.

Prince Philionel lifted his eyes to the young man to speak, but then Amelia let out a weak cough that could have only been heard if the room was not so silent. With a shaky excited laugh, he shook her gently, his eyes over flowing with tears, "Amelia? Are you awake?"

All of them brightened hopefully and Zelgadis closed his eyes to silently give thanks to the gods. Ellie and Markus made their way to Amelia as Zelgadis, Lina and Gourry backed away. They laid her down on what was left of the bed to quickly revaluate her.

"She's alive, but barely," Ellie said to the overlooking group in a low voice. "But we need to take her somewhere safe. The infection is quickly ravaging her life energy at an unbelievable rate. Dillis may have already given her a death sentence. We need to hurry."

Zelgadis's temporary relief was replaced with an intense hatred for Dillis. Whatever spell he placed on her could kill her at a moment's notice. She looked very close to death, but there was still life left in her small body. Philionel was elated at her chance for survival, no matter how small, but he quickly sobered enough to take charge of the situation.

"We'll take her to the other suite down the hall and have it closely guarded so the healers can work," he commanded to the guards and the others. "I want to find the man that did this to her. He may have escaped out through the balcony and made his getaway outside the palace walls."

"We'll find him!" Lina piped up, her crimson red eyes set with a fearsome expression. Even if the baby inhibited the control of her magic, she could still do quite a bit of damage. "He couldn't have gone far."

Gourry placed a firm hand the handle of his sword and stood next to Lina. "We'll bring him back!"

Zelgadis was tempted to follow Lina and Gourry, but the thought of leaving Amelia again kept him glued to his spot near the balcony. The two of them left with the guards down the steps in search for the head healer. Philionel carried Amelia in his arms, stepping over the rubble and the healers left hurriedly to prepare the spare suite for their healing session. He turned to the chimera and motioned to him to come closer.

"Zelgadis, I was wrong to misjudge you. I should have listened to your suspicions and because my carelessness Amelia is barely hanging onto life. Will you please assist the other healers? You've done more for Amelia these last few days than I have in months," he said with a deep apologetic voice and shame appeared in his eyes.

Zelgadis looked at him with astonishment, but quickly turned his expression into a serious one and nodded dutifully, "I promise that I will do my very best for her. She's a strong woman and a fighter."

The Prince gave him a small smile and the two of them followed the healers into the other room.

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The room was noisy with a cluster of voices. The healers prepared a bed and Amelia's father placed her limp body onto the soft sheets. Backing away, he let the healers begin their work. They discussed amongst themselves, preparing a game plan on what to tackle first. Markus did not join them, but sat back in a chair a little ways from the bed. He was still struggling with the injury on his side, wishing to help but his sister kept ordering him to stay put.

"Thank you Zelgadis," The Prince said with a gracious nod of his head, before retreating with the two of the guards.

Zelgadis approached the bed quickly, his heart thundering in his ears. Amelia's chest was rising up and down in a fast, fluttering rate. The metallic smell stung his nose as he watched the healers begin their first move. They stood in a circle around the bed, readying their spells until the room began to glow. Ellie looked expectedly at Zelgadis and he began a healing spell of his own. Soon Amelia's body was bathed in a bright light under the control of Zelgadis and the healers' magic. Amelia's eyes remained closed and every so often her fingers would spasm and flex under the spell's power.

Half an hour had passed and Zelgadis began to feel his hand tire from holding the spell. He refused to let it show and tried even harder to keep the spell strong, his shamanistic magic still flowing steadily. All their faces were dripping in sweat from the intense concentration. Zelgadis glanced at Ellie who was fixated on her own magic.

"The infection is not retreating…" a healer complained, still holding onto his spell. "It's too strong and it'll take over her life energy!"

"Keep going," Ellie instructed in a strained voice, trying to strengthen Amelia's life energy in order to combat the infection.

Zelgadis felt another body move in between him. Ellie blinked in surprise to see her brother standing next to her. His face was flushed and red and his hair was matted to his forehead.

"Markus…?" Ellie began, but her brother cut her off.

He gave her a sideways glance. "I will not sit in the sidelines any longer. We will need all the healers here to save her. It's the very least I can do." He looked at Zelgadis and gave him a weak smile. "I'm sorry for not speaking up sooner."

"We all are," Ellie said sadly. The other healers nodded their apologies to Zelgadis.

The combined healing spell began to strengthen, but Amelia still looked the same. Zelgadis watched her carefully, wanting nothing more than to see life return to her. Her skin was still pale and took on a cold appearance. Her lips were slightly parted and her breathing had not slowed down. Once in a while a slight gurgle in her throat would arise, as if she was trying to expel the infection out through her mouth. Zelgadis could see from the looks of the other healers that they were not pleased with her state. Another twenty minutes passed and some of the healers had to stop and rest. Zelgadis kept his focus, wishing and waiting for Amelia to show any signs of recovery.

"Why isn't this helping her? What are we doing wrong?" Zelgadis demanded, his arm was beginning to get stiff from holding it up so long, but he ignored it.

Markus was on break, looking over his sister's shoulder to see Amelia. "Her life energy is very weak and the infection is quickly taking over."

"Aren't we healing the life energy," Zelgadis stated in a confused tone. "Why isn't she improving then?"

Ellie finally broke away from the spell, leaning on the bed to rest for a few minutes, her chest heaving slightly. "The infection is so great now, no matter how much we try to heal the life energy, it's still not enough."

"These healing sessions Dillis led with us must have aided the infection every day underneath our very noses!" Markus exclaimed in frustration. "We can't tackle the infection and the life energy at the same time and he knows it!"

Zelgadis growled, almost breaking his spell. "Then why don't we tackle the damn infection?"

Markus paled, "If we abandon healing the life energy and focus only on the infection, she won't survive."

The chimera shut his eyes in frustration. Dillis must have been planning this all a long. He was aiding the infection a little bit at a time so he would not be caught. It would seem more natural if she began to get weaker each day, dragging out the illness for a few months, and then gradually let her suffer until she gave out. Then the bastard would get off free, claiming he did the best he could. No one would be the wiser and it sickened him. He wanted nothing more than to rip the man to shreds and let him suffer the way he made Amelia suffer.

He suddenly had an idea.

Since he and Markus found him out first, he had to put his plan into further action. He attacked Amelia head on and increased the infection ten fold in his attempt to kill her. Judging from her burns, they fought for a while before he furthered the infection. Why did he not just kill her instead of letting the infection do it for him? He probably expected that more attention would be made on Amelia if she was barely alive and he could make a cleaner getaway. If they found him, he could force Dillis to reverse the infection. It was worth a shot.

"I'm going to find Dillis," Zelgadis announced. "He's responsible for the infection so he can take it away, right?"

Ellie and Markus blinked, but slowly nodded their heads. "Perhaps," Ellie spoke softly, her eyebrows turned downward in thought. "If it is his spell, than he should be able to remove it."

Zelgadis made up his mind and looked at Markus. "If I leave can you keep her life energy stable enough until I get back?"

Markus stuttered, "I-I-I…well, yes. Yes I can do that," he tried to say confidently.

"I'll be quick," Zelgadis stated darkly. He let his eyes look upon Amelia one last time. "I promise," he said before dimming his spell and taking his leave into the hallway.

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The castle was frantic and guards were running to and fro. He did not see Lina or Gourry, so he suspected they were still outside the palace walls. Guards were placed at every part the castle, searching for the traitorous healer. He wondered if the man had already skipped town and it could be days before they would find him. By then it would be much too late.

He was about to leave the castle, but his instincts told him to stop where he was. Dillis could still be here. Perhaps he was waiting for the right moment to flee and opening the balcony doors was a good deterrent to make them think he as escaped outside. Zelgadis's intuition began to kick in and he listened to it closely. He quickly headed down the hallways to the third wing. A few office rooms were further down in the hallway. The guards were scarcer there and he continued on his path. Looking into one of the offices, he found nothing. He entered one more, one that was used for conferences, and displayed flags of the neighboring allies of Sailune along the ceiling. It was the larger of the three.

The room was dimly lit, but it could still the inside of it clearly. Walking along the long wooden table, he heard a scrapping sound and barely had time to react until he heard a voice yell.

"Flame Breath!"

Zelgadis dodged and jumped out of the way just in time as a circle of light appeared on the floor where he had once stood. It exploded, firing energy within the circle in a loud, violent crackle. From the back corner of the room, Dillis appeared.

His green and white robes were singed and blackened in a few areas and part of his beard had been burned off. Zelgadis narrowed his eyes and grinned inwardly. Amelia had stood her ground long enough to throw a few punches in their scuffle. Even though he was battered and burned, he had a calm and somewhat pleasant look on his face.

"Well, if it isn't the chimera." Dillis said lightly, as if inviting Zelgadis in for a cup of tea. "What took you so long, I wonder?"

Zelgadis withdrew his sword and pointed it at the man. "Looking for you. I had a feeling I'd find you hiding like a coward!"

Dillis chuckled, "Yes, well I know when I've been beat. I'm a wanted man, so it's to be expected. Tell me, Zelgadis…" he smiled a crooked grin, his eyes laughing at him. "Are you enjoying watching the princess slowly die?"

Zelgadis had to control the urge to lunge at him, but he knew he was only trying to make him loose his cool. He growled and yelled back, "What were you trying to gain by killing the crown princess of Saillune?"

"Such a predictable question," Dillis scolded almost off-handedly. "I may wear the robes of an allied country, but I don't play by the rules. My current employer is not a big fan of Saillune either, especially after Prince Phillionel's latest forum hearing a few months ago. He wants to take half the trade and merchant routes that belong to Ralteague."

Zelgadis shot back, "You mean Prince Philionel wants to share the trade-routes." The Saillune ruler would not forcibly take something that belonged to an allied country.

"Same thing," Dillis shrugged. "Which is why my skills were employed by a certain gentleman. He was not pleased with having to share the trade routes and as a result his salary will be severally cut. I used to be a healer back in my younger years, a dependent of White magic. Then I began specializing more on the destructive side of it. White magic and Black magic are very interesting when you add them together. Healing life and then destroying it. It's hard to find people with my sort of talent available for hire."

"My employer wished for me to pose as a royal healer of Ralteague for the forum hearing Prince Philionel was speaking at. Once I did, I got very close to the princess of Salliune. I infected her with a rather nasty spell of my own design that eats away at the life energy. She became very ill when she returned to her kingdom. My employer has many contacts and he's in favor with the Prince of Salliune. So, it's no wonder that days later I was contacted to help 'heal' the princess." He smiled and chuckled, "The Prince truly is a gullible one and deserves to be punished for it."

Zelgadis slowly approached him, his sword ready at his hip. He glared hatefully at him. "Why would you attack the Princess and not the Prince?"

Dillis smiled, his eyes blazing, "Who better to infect with a life threatening illness than the last surviving heir to the throne? The Prince has already lost a wife and his first child. Loosing his youngest daughter would be the death of him. What better time for the kingdom of Ralteague to take back what is rightfully theirs and then some?"

"You're one to talk," Zelgadis grated out. "If you're as clever as you think you are, why haven't you tried to escape?"

Dillis chuckled, acting as if Zelgadis had said something amusing. "I did have plans to escape, but since you found me out so quickly I had no choice but to blow my cover. I attacked the young healer to distract the guards and made my way to the princess. I've succeeded in my part of the deal, but it went less smooth than I hoped. If I ran now the Saillune guards would find me, even if it took months and it would trace back to my employer. If I wasn't executed by Saillune authorities first, my employer would gladly finish the job. There is no hope for me now either way," he laughed out loud and in between breaths said, "The princess's body should be overrun with my infection. I was ordered to make sure she'd died slowly and painfully. She won't see the light of dawn and the Prince will suffer for it!"

Zelgadis sped over to him and knocked him off his feet. Dillis fell with a loud crack as his head hit the ground. Zelgadis grabbed the edge of his robes and pulled him up, holding the tip of his sword to his throat. "You'll tell me how to reverse the infection now!"

Dillis paused and looked up at Zelgadis. A slow dark smile appeared on his face, "You want me to tell you how to get rid of the infection?" He laughed out loud again, "I am a dead man, but not a stupid one."

The healer pushed himself up onto one hand and created a spell in the other behind his back. It was almost fully formed and before he could complete it a loud voice yelled, "Look out Zelgadis! FIREBALL!"

Dillis's spell retreated at the sound of the voice. Zelgadis glanced to the right with the healer still in his grasp. They awaited an explosion, but it never came. Lina was standing by the doorway with her hand outstretched. She stomped her foot angrily and shouted, "Aw crap, I forgot I couldn't use magic. Damnit!"

That gave Zelgadis enough time to kick at Dillis when he was distracted, knocking him back onto the floor as he let go of him. The tip of his sword began to dig into the skin of his throat and Dillis let out a loud hiss. Zelgadis's voice was deep and gravelly, "I have ways of making you talk."

Dillis shouted in a suddenly hysterical voice, "Kill me if you must, but I won't tell you anything!"

Gourry followed Lina into the room, his sword of light burning brightly in the dimly lit room. Dillis looked fearfully at the two. They had him trapped and they were obviously on Zelgadis's side. He looked at the chimera in the eyes. His sword point dug deeper into Dillis's neck and a small smile appeared on the healer's face as the result.

"You still want answers? Then leave me no choice…" he said in a cryptic tone. He drew a hand out and grabbed onto the sword blade. It cut deeply into his fingers, blood running down the double-edged silver blade, pushing it away. Quickly Dillis placed his free hand palm down on his own chest. He hissed through the pain, "Digger Bolt…"

The lethal spell burst through Dilli's chest from the down-faced palm. Zelgadis, Lina and Gourry jumped back in surprise as Dillis's body convulsed from the currents of deadly magic. His eyes were open wide and blood flowed from his mouth as his body slumped backwards and stilled for the final time.

"No!" Zelgadis screamed, pulling his sword from Dillis's limp and bloody hand. He threw the sword to the ground and fell to his knees, yanking Dillis up and shaking him violently. He had not counted on him to take his own life. The healer's head lolled from side to side as Zelgadis shook him. "You bastard!"

Lina and Gourry rushed to their friend's side. Lina placed a hand on Zelgadis's shoulder, "Zel, it's no use. He's dead."

Zelgadis threw the healer down angrily and remained on his knees, his shoulders slumped and his head down. "He'd rather kill himself then me how to save Amelia."

Lina sighed, rubbing her face and taking in the situation grimly. "Like all cowards, they all choose the easy way out. You wouldn't simply kill him, so he did it to himself. "

"He knew he was going to die and he take his secrets with him to the grave," Zelgadis stated angrily and dejectedly. "He did it all so his employer could punish Prince Philionel through Amelia's death."

Gourry spoke up as he sheathed his sword, "Amelia is still alive, right?"

"I hope so," Zelgadis's replied softly, still on his knees over-looking Dillis's dead body. "I don't know what else I can do for her."

"You did your best, Zel." Lina gripped onto his shoulder to make him look at her, "But it's not over yet. There may still be a chance she'll survive."

Picking himself up slowly from the floor, he dragged his sword up with him and placed it in its scabbard. He turned and began walk out of the room. "I hope so, Lina."

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The guards retailed the information to Prince Philionel. Zelgadis was glad he was not present in the office when they gave their report. He doubted Prince Phil would blame him for Dillis's death, but it did not make the situation any better. Dillis had cared very little if he lived or died, just as long as his task was completed. Zelgadis punched his hand into one of the hallway walls, breaking a little bit of the stones there. Dillis had been content to sit and wait for him only to withhold the cure to Amelia's infection before he took his own life. He had baited him numerous time and it was almost enough for Zegladis to kill the man himself if not for the certain information he needed. It was like some sort of sick game. He wondered if his employer would ever be found.

He stood at the entrance to the suite Amelia was being cared for in. Lina and Gourry were now at his side. His confidence had dwindled and he almost expected to see the sad and defeated faces of the healers when he entered. Would Amelia even still be alive? Had he wasted too much time already? Sucking in a breath, he walked in.

Ellie, Markus and few of the other healers were still hard at work. The other healers were exhausted and catching their breath off to the side. Some of them looked like they had already given up by the expressions on their faces. Ellie lifted her head and looked at Zelgadis expectedly.

"Did you find Dills?" She asked hopefully, controlling her spell over Amelia's still form.

Zelgadis nodded, "I did, but I failed to get what we needed out of him," he bowed his head and confessed, "He killed himself when I tried to make him tell me the reverse spell by force."

Ellie's hopeful expression drooped and sadly replied, "Then we'll do what we can."

Zelgadis nodded sorrowfully before adding, "But this time I'll stay."

Lina stood over Amelia and touched her hand. "Don't give up, Amelia. Do you hear me? You've fought too hard to die like this," she ordered, trying to keep her voice from shaking. She had to turn away, hiding her tear-streaked face before Gourry pulled her into a comforting hug.

"You two should get some rest. It's been a long day," Zelgadis told his friends, his voice was dry and thick. "I'll work with the healers the rest of the night."

"She'll make it." Gourry said softly, "I know she will."

Zelgadis could only nod numbly in return, hoping he was right, and turned his back on them to work with the healers. Hours passed and the healers were beginning to loose track of time late into the night. They were so exhausted that many of them had trouble staying awake during their spells. Some of them rested near the bed when they were on the verge of passing out.

Amelia was still not responding to the healing spells and it was a struggle to keep her life energy from being overtaken by the infection. Zelgadis kept watching her, wanting nothing more but to see her eyes open. He wanted to see her as she was before. The perky and enthusiastic girl he knew. Even if she did nothing be spout justice speaks for the rest of her life, it would not matter to him. He would give just about anything just to see her smile at him again.

"It's no use," a healer complained, interrupted the silence in the room. "My arms and hands are sore and I'm so tired I can't even think straight."

Zelgadis glared at the man, but before he could curb his remark, Markus stepped and hissed, "How dare you!" Markus looked the most exhausted out of all the healers. His injuries were taking its toll and his eyes were red and puffy. He was worse for wear than any of them, but showed the most strength.

"You call yourself a Saillune healer, yet all you do is complain! You don't look half as tired as you think you do. We need everyone here to give it their all. This is the crown princess's life!" Markus barked and he turned his focus away from the man and concentrated on Amelia.

The healer's looked ashamed, his jaw opening and closing like a fish. He hid his eyes and took a breath before returning to his work. Zelgadis grinned in admiration for Markus. He had come a long way in a short amount of time. Zelgadis began to feel his own exhaustion rise up, but he pushed it back. His body was used to dealing with it, mentally and physically. It came from traveling and fighting for so many years in his young life. He doubted any of these healers had ever faced a true battle. Unlike him, it was easier to work past the pain of exhaustion and just focus.

A few hours passed and Zelgadis lost himself in his work, watching Amelia's face as it was lit from the bright lights of the spells. Then the light began to dim and then dimmer still. He whipped his head around to see that most of the healers had stopped and were either leaning on the wall or sitting down.

"What are you doing?" Zelgadis growled at them. All that remained was Markus, Ellie and himself at Amelia's bedside. "We didn't tell you to stop!"

The healers looked almost half dead and the ones who sat on the floor had already fallen asleep. The others were barely hanging onto consciousness. He ordered, "If we work a little harder, we can…"

"Zelgadis," Ellie spoke in a painfully soft voice. Looking at him with a face overcome and beaten down with stress she whispered, "I think we're done."

"No we are not!" Zelgadis shouted out. "We need more time!"

Markus was struggling to speak, his eyes half shut. "We can't do this any longer. We've gone past our limits. We've used all our power on her life energy and the infection is still present. They're nothing else we can give her."

"Then…" Zelgadis sputtered, trying to quickly think of something. "Then I'll try to double my spell and perhaps I can attack the infection while you…"

Ellie's hand on his arm stopped him. "We're done, Zelgadis. I'm sorry."

"No we're not!" Zelgadis panicked and tried to make his spell stronger against his will.

Markus and Ellie shook their head solemnly. Zelgadis turned to the others healers to ask for assistance, but the ones that were awake were struggling to just stay on their feet. His mouth was set in a hard line, "Then I'll do it myself."

"Zelgadis..." Markus started. "You're tired and…"

"I said I'll do it myself," he pressed further, his voice rising before dropping down into a strained tone. "I won't let her die. How can you leave her alone when she's like this?"

The two siblings glanced at one another before speaking. Ellie began after a few moments, "The princess is strong, which is why she's lasted this long. But we're healers, not gods and we have no control if a body is returned to the astral plane."

"If Cepheid wishes to take her tonight, he will." Markus stated sadly, "But if he wants her to survive the night, that's his choice and his alone. Humans can only do so much."

Zelgadis's spell faded out and he felt his body slump forward. Exhaustion had taken over and his vision began to blur. He wanted to force himself and the healers to keep going, but a body could only take so much; even a strong one. They had worked longer and harder than they ever had before. They would not last any longer even if he made them. He tried to keep his spell going, but his power was weak due to his tiredness. Zelgadis looked at Amelia lying on the bed, her features dulled by the lack of light in the room. Even without the healing spells she was still breathing on her own and her heart was still beating.

Could she survive the rest of the night? Or would she simply waste away as her life energy gave out and let itself be taken over by the infection?

No other words were spoken as the healers left, walking dejectedly out of the room and leaving Zelgadis alone with Amelia. No one watched as tears began to pour down his face, wetting the dark stones on his cheeks. He buried his face in his hands, letting out a choking sob. So many things had happened in just one day. She was laughing and smiling not long ago, playing chess with him, eating lunch with him and telling him how much she was going to miss him. Now her spirit seemed to be silenced forever and prayed that she still had to strength to survive the night. The healers had already given up, but not him. He wanted to save her and he would anything for her. It was then that he realized just how much he loved her.

And she would never know.

TBC

Author's Note: I hope I didn't drag this out too much since it's a fairly large chapter. I tried to make Dillis's character a bit less predictable in this chapter and I'm not sure if I succeeded. This is my first real drama fic, so it's been interesting trying to write this story. I'm determined to watch Slayers Revolution because I have no earthly idea what the hell is going on in the Slayers world after Try. Goodness, I get back into Slayers again and a new series pops up! Freaky!


	8. Love and Miracles

**Forgotten Letters**

By Verdigris

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of the Slayers universe. If you try to sue, you won't get much out of me!

_Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. Been rather busy with traveling and visiting friends and family this month. New York was awesome and so was Chicago, but I did miss my Gulf of Mexico beaches. Just in time for hurricane season…ugh. As always, thanks for your reviews!_

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**Chapter 7: Love and Miracles**

A ray of light beamed through the windows in the corner of the dark guest room. The sun had rose with the dawn and its rosy hue fell onto the bed in the middle of the room. Flecks of dust floated calmly through the ray of light and onto Amelia's face as she laid on her back on the soft sheets. Her eyebrows twitched and her eyelids squeezed tightly against the brightness even though they were already closed. She opened them only to shut them again and she let out a small moan. Amelia stiffly moved onto her side to avoid the bright light and rubbed at her eyes.

She sleepily blinked and lifted up her head to survey the room. She did not recognize her surrounding at first. Slowly she began to remember what had happened to her. It had all been a blur, a scattering of swift spells and then blackness. Now she was lying in a strange bed and she had no idea how she got there. Her burns on her arms and legs had healed, but the redness was still there. Several of her other wounds were cleaned and dressed. Shifting to the side and she tried to pull herself up off the pillows and she felt something heavy holding her down. Amelia nearly panicked, but as her eyes adjusted to the dark room, she recognized the purple wiry head near her lap.

Zelgadis was half lying on the bed and his arms were cradled underneath his head. He was asleep, his face tilted slightly to the side. Amelia moved forward so she could see more of him. He was still sitting in his chair and had fallen asleep with his upper body on her bed. Zelgadis's face looked uneasy and almost anguished as he slept, like he was having a terrible nightmare. Amelia reached out and touched his face, trying to smooth the frown lines around his mouth. As she did so, his eyes snapped open and his head shot upwards.

She squeaked and fell back against the pillows as he pushed himself up on his elbows. "A-a-melia?" he whispered in disbelief, his eyes wide as he stared at her.

Amelia put a hand to her chest, pushing away her startled ness. She gaped at the surprised expression on his face. "I didn't mean to scare you. Is everything…"

Her words were cut off as Zelgadis scrambled further onto the bed, knocking over his chair in the process. He reached out and held her around the shoulders, pulling her to him. He buried his face into her shoulder. Zelgadis was still in a state of shock and he mumbled in half intelligible sentences, "You're alive...I thought…the healers… they said you've…"

Amelia's blush deepened as he continued to hold her against him. Zelgadis came to his senses when he realized what he was doing and pulled away hurriedly. He averted his eyes and fumbled with the chair to pull it upright. She frowned as he pulled away, missing the welcome warmth that radiated from him.

Looking at him closely she saw the weariness in his eyes. She realized he had been by her side the whole night and it caused her heart to flutter. She barely suppressed a smile before asking him gently, "Are you okay?"

Zelgadis seemed to calm down a bit as he sat back in the chair. His eyes were still wide, almost as if they were not yet ready to accept what they were seeing. Amalia was alive. His heart was pounding and wished to god that none of this was a dream. He had thought the worse and yet here she was, sitting in bed almost as if nothing had happened. Her bright blue eyes were staring inquisitively into his. He tested the air and noted with relief that the metallic smell was completely gone. Zelgadis hardly analogized that she had asked him a question, several in fact, yet all he could do was look at her.

Zelgadis finally forced himself to speak. He let out a long sigh as he did so, "Yes. I'm fine," he stuttered. "Just a little shaken up, that's all. How are you feeling?"

"Very sore and very stiff," she admitted as the haziness of sleep had worn off and her injuries were making themselves heard. "How did I end up in this room?"

"The healers brought you here after Dillis attacked you. We didn't think you'd survive the night," he said with a low voice, shuttering at the memory of just how close to death she was. "We found you outside in the balcony. What do you remember?"

"I remember Dillis barging into my room," Amelia said slowly as the soreness of the last night's events began to take hold. She groaned and tried to recall what had happened. Her eyebrows knitted in thought. "After that it's unclear. I remember pain...terrible pain." She grimaced and shut her eyes suddenly remembering the attack in detail.

Zelgadis placed a hand on hers to ease her fears. He said gently, "He won't hurt you anymore."

She nodded and was relieved to hear the news, but he did not seem pleased. She asked, "Is he…?"

"Yes," Zelgadis said immediately, his eyes dropping down. "But he died by his own hand," he said softly. She blinked in confusion and he explained, "He was sent by someone in Ralteague to make you ill and he was hiding behind the guise of a healer. His orders were to kill you with an infection so your father would pay the price. When Markus and I found that he that he was slowly taking away your life, he took his own so it wouldn't trace back to his employer."

"All this so he could destroy my father?" Amelia slumped backward into the pillows, taking it in. She thought Ralteague was a trusted ally and they had invited a traitor into their home. Angry tears began to fall down her face as she thought of what would have happened to her father if she did die. She remembered as a child how he reacted to her mother's death and it still haunted him. It was a cruel card to play.

Zelgadis saw the tears in her eyes and he cursed to himself. He should have let her rest first before telling her. Even though she survived the infection, she was still in pain. His fists clenched at his sides.

"I shouldn't have left you alone," he growled, interrupting her thoughts as he stalked away from the bed. He shook his head furiously, "You were dying and that bastard killed himself before I could get any word out of him." His voice wavered, "I worked with the healers all night, but you so were so far gone. His spell was weakening your life energy to almost nothing. I was a fool for letting him get away with it!"

Zelgadis kicked at the chair near the bed and it clattered to the floor. He growled through clenched teeth, "If I came to see you sooner you wouldn't have had to suffer."

Amelia wiped at her tears hurriedly as he retreated into the shadows of the room, "You did all that you could. What more could you have done?" She pleaded gently, trying to coax him back out into the light so she could see him. "Zelgadis, please…what's wrong? What's this about?"

Zelgadis stayed hidden, his dark silhouette heightened by the light of the window. He could have done more and she needed to know why.

"If I had read your letter, I would have come sooner," he confessed firmly. He turned his head away, not wishing to see her eyes as he told her. "Lina gave me all of your letters, each and every one of them. I never read a single one, but she kept giving them to me anyway, demanding that I write back to you." He closed his eyes as he spoke, "I didn't know you were ill until Lina informed me about it. Had I taken the time to read them I could have stopped all of this from happening. Instead, I abandoned you."

There was silence for a few moments and Zelgadis thought about leaving the room to tell the others of Amelia's recovery. No doubt she would be disgusted at him. "Two months you had fallen ill under the hand of Dillis and all I did was think about myself. You called out to me more than once and I carelessly refused you. I'm a selfish coward, which is why you need to hear the truth. I am not the faithful friend you believed me to be. I'm sorry, Amelia."

Making up his mind he took a step toward the door to leave her be. Then he felt something soft pressing against him. Amelia had silently gotten out of bed and her arms were around him. Her head was resting against his back. He froze in place as he heard her softly breathing behind him.

"All that matters is that you came," she whispered into soft fabric on his back. She held him closer, fearing that he would run from her. "Whether it was because of guilt or wanting my forgiveness for not returning my letters, you came and that's all I ever wanted. None of us, not even Lina and Gourry knew what going to happen to me. I want you to stop blaming yourself for all of this."

Zelgadis did not turn around. All he could do was close his eyes as she continued to speak, feeling her warmth against him.

"I don't care if you read them. I just wanted to let you know that I was thinking about you and that you had a place to come home to if you needed it." Amelia pressed her forehead into the small of back, breathing him in. "It's me that should be asking for your forgiveness. I've distracted you for too long and I've selfishly taken advantage of your time. No matter what you say, you're not a coward. I'm so sorry, Zelgadis."

She let him go and took a few steps back from him to let him leave if he so wished. Zelgadis turned around so he stood halfway between the shadows and the light. Her eyes were glassy with tears. She was still very weak, but she stood up strong before him, readying herself for his departure. Once again she was asking for his forgiveness. Like a dam breaking against a torrent of water, he broke down and wrapped his arms around her.

Holding her he felt his body shake. His voice was slightly hoarse as he spoke, "I thought I'd never see you again. I thought I'd never to see your eyes or hear your voice. You are never a waste of my time. I'd gladly give up the time I have left on this earth for you. I just wish I could have taken away your suffering. I ignored your letters because I was afraid of what I might do if I saw you again. It would only serve as a reminder of what I couldn't have. I'm just a cold and heartless creature, who only cares for himself, and does not deserve you. You have no reason to be sorry."

They stood there, Amelia in the sunlight and Zelgadis in the shadows, holding each other close. The sun drew higher in the sky, pushing the shadows away and bathing both of them in sunlight. Zelgadis never wanted to let her to go. He held her tightly, assuring himself that she was alive and he waited for her to push him away. Amelia only buried her face into his chest. He felt her tears wet the front of his tunic. Fearing that he caused her more pain, he drew back and there he saw the brightest and most beautiful smile upon her face. His breath hitched in his throat as her eyes shined into his. He felt a smile of own appear at her silent confession. He was forgiven.

"I never thanked you for saving my life," Amelia whispered gently, before reaching and taking his face into her hands. Zelgadis felt her lips press against his and his closed his eyes at the contact.

"Princess!" Markus called out from the open doorway. "I don't believe it, you're alive!"

"Locks," Zelgadis groaned as his lips fell from hers quickly. "Do none of the doors in the castle have locks?"

Amelia tried to suppress a giggle. The look at his face was priceless and she would make sure she made it up to him. She stood back from him but held onto his arm as she waved to the young healer. Zelgadis was glad his blush was well hidden by the stones on his face and he quickly composed himself. Markus ran towards them, his eyes overflowing with tears. He fell to his knees, grasping onto one of Amelia's hands.

"Oh thank the gods!" Markus half sobbed, "I appolgize for not staying with you the entire night. The healers and I, we…"

Zelgadis cleared his throat and piped in, "He worked long and hard throughout the night, despite the injuries he received from Dillis."

Markus smiled gratefully at him and he bowed his head before Amelia. "Yes, as did the rest of the healers. We feared the worst and many of us exhausted ourselves trying to keep your life energy stabilized. Dillis's spell was a powerful one, but your life energy must have been stronger than his magic. You truly are a princess of Saillune."

"I am very grateful to have such skilled healers at our kingdom's dispense. Saillune is very lucky to have you," Amelia said with a small bow of her own. She smiled cheerfully, "But please, call me Amelia next time. 'Princess' tends to be a bit too informal, don't you think?"

The healer stayed on his knees, blinking slightly. "Uh… thank you Princ…I mean, Amelia." He yelped as she hugged him tightly. Blushing brightly, he cleared his throat before rising. "Yes, well, I'll have to tell the other healers about this right away. We'll need to give you another full revaluation just to be safe. I'll alert the Prince at once!"

He bowed before leaving, practically skipping out the room. When he was out of sight, Amelia let out a long sigh, brushing the hair out of her face. Stepping forward, she stumbled a little, but Zelgadis steadied her by placing a hand around her waist.

He looked at her worriedly, "Are you alright?"

Amelia beamed at him through tired eyes, "A bit weak. I didn't want to bust Markus's bubble by appearing too exhausted."

"He deserves to tell your father the news. He's a good man." Zelgadis tilted her face towards his.

She smiled sleepily at him before peeking him on the cheek. "Looks like you're not out of bed yet," Zelgadis chuckled as she pouted at his remark. He took her hand and kissed it gently, "I know you hate laying around all day, but with all you've been through you still need time to heal and recuperate."

"You're right," Amelia sighed, leaning against him. "At least I know it'll be easier this time."

"And you'll have company," Zelgadis added with a smile. He helped her to the bed and picked up the chair he had so carelessly kicked to the ground. He took his seat next to her dutifully.

"Promise?" Amelia asked sleepily, turning on the pillow so she could see him.

He smiled gently, leaning over to touch her hand, "I promise."

"Then I suppose it won't all be that bad," she teased him. Her eyes began to close and Zelgadis reluctantly removed his hand from hers.

Thoughts of what had happened between them were still fresh in his mind. He touched her hair to pull it back from her eyes and simply gazed at her. I wished he could have told her he loved her, but it would have to wait. The door suddenly flew open wide. Zelgadis instinctively jumped to his feet with his sword in hand, shielding Amelia as he stood at the end of her bed. Nearly jumping out of bed herself, Amelia looked up at Zelgadis with alarm.

"Put that thing down, Zel. It's only us!" Lina glared at him angrily in the doorway. "Sheesh, what's with the deal with telling the healers first?"

Zelgadis calmed down and took his hand away from his sword hilt. He rolled his eyes, "Do you always have a make a entrance? Besides, the healer came in just a moment ago."

"Miss Lina!" Amelia called out from the bed. She was still sleepy, it that she was happy to see her worried friend. Lina pushed Zelgadis out of the way to hug her.

He noted with a hidden smile that the intrusion did not bother Amelia in slightest. In fact, she welcomed it. Even in her weakest state, she always had time for her friends. It was one of the things he loved about her.

"We were so worried," Lina's mood softened as she held her tightly. "We almost thought you'd left us for good. Is it gone?" She was asking about the infection.

"It might be. The healers will be coming sooner to check her over just in case," Zelgadis explained as he sat next to Amelia on the bed.

Amelia smiled brightly, trying to ignore the need for sleep as Gourry joined Lina at her bedside. "It was a close one, but Zelgadis and healers took care of me. I heard about Dillis too." She blinked and looked confused at Lina as she wiped her eyes, "Are you crying, Miss Lina?"

"Me?" Lina wiped her watery eyes quickly and nasally replied, "Just holding in a sneeze, that's all."

Gourry placed a large hand on his fiancé's shoulder. "We didn't get much sleep, so we were already up when we heard the news. Lina was a nervous wreck all night."

"Speaking of not getting any sleep, how are you fairing, Zel?" Lina wondered out loud, eager to change the subject. "You were with her all night, right?"

Zelgadis stifled a yawn and nodded, sitting down on the bed next to Amelia. "I'll be alright. I don't need that much sleep. After Amelia is all situated with the healers, I may retire to my own room for a bit."

"You didn't have to wait long," Lina grinned.

Confused at her remark, he suddenly felt a weight against him and realized that Amelia had fallen asleep. She leaning on his shoulder and had snuggled up against his arm. He froze, not knowing what to do in front of Lina and Gourry as a deep blush that spread across his face. A sly smile appeared on Lina's face at the tender scene.

Winking, Lina took Gourry's hand as she began to make her exit, dragging him along with her. "It looks like you two need to catch on your sleep. We won't keep ya," she said in a sing-song voice. "Glad to know everything is alright. Lets go, Gourry."

"Huh? Why? Uh, bye Zel!" Gourry mumbled, but allowed her to tug him out the door.

Zelgadis watched them head out the door and he let out a sigh. He smiled down at Amelia. Her breathing was already slow and deep as she slept soundly on his shoulder. Reluctantly he shifted and moved her so she was lying against the pillows. He was surprised that she fallen asleep against his stony shoulder with some level of comfort. She must have been more tired that he thought, but it was a pleasant gesture on her part. He reminded himself that healers would be arriving at any moment and it would be best to not put her in such a compromising position, even if he did enjoy it. Allowing them to notify the Prince that his daughter was alive was one thing, but seeing him in her bed was another. They still had much to talk about before the Prince was clued in about what had happened between them. He trusted that Lina would keep her mouth shut for the rest of the day at least.

He sat back in the chair and watched Amelia sleep, thinking about everything that happened in the morning. Zelgadis still had his doubts, but he was happy at the moment and he pushed his worries aside for now. All he could do was look forward to what else the day might bring.

TBC

_Author's Note: This is a short chapter that the previous ones. Lots of Zel and Amelia fluff. It's about time Zel got his act together. I almost combined this chapter with the next one, but decided against it. Looks the next one may be the last. Amelia's better and Zel's finally starting to come to terms with himself. What Next? We'll just to have what our favorite grumpy chimera is going to do next._


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